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o 


ONOFDICtA; 


REMINISCENCES 


OP 


EARLIER  Am  LATER  TIMES; 

BEING  A  SERIES  OF  HISTORICAL  SKETCHES  RELATIVE  TO  ONONDAGA;  WITH 
NOTES  ON  THE  SEVERAL  TOWNS  IN  THE  COUNTY, 

AND 

OSWEGO. 

By  JOSHUA  V.  H.  CLARK,  A.  M. 

CORRESPONDING  MEMBER  OF  TIIE  NEW  YORK  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY* 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES. 

YOL.  II. 


SYRACUSE; 

STODDARD  AND  BABCOCK. 


1849. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1849,  by 
JOSHUA  V.  H.  CLARK,  A.  M. 

In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the 
Northern  District  of  New-York. 


STEREOTYPED  BY 

BAKER  &  TIERNAN. 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


H 1H- 

(V  •  / - 

V  ,  1 

CONTENTS,  VOL.  II. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ONONDAGA-SALT  SPRINGS. 

When  First  Visited  by  the  French.  Salt  made  by  the  Indians.  Owned  by  Sii 
William  Johnson.  First  Manufacturers.  Federal  Company.  First  Laws  in 
respect  to  Salt  Springs,  passed  1797.  First  Superintendent.  Powers  and  Du¬ 
ties  of  Superintendent  and  Lessees.  Rules  observed  in  Making  and  Packing 
Salt.  Coarse  Salt.  Progress  of  Manufacture.  Borings.  Table  of  Statistics. 
List  of  Superintendents  and  Inspectors.  Modes  of  Manufacture.  Onondaga 
Lake.  Formation  of  the  Onondaga  Valley.  Illustrations.  Dr.  William  Kirk¬ 
patrick.  ........  -7 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

ERIE  CANAL. 

Biographical  Sketch  of  Hon.  James  Geddes.  Origin  of  Internal  Improvements. 
Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company.  Erie  Canal.  Hydraulic  Cement  45 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

SYRACUSE. 

Biographical  Sketch  of  Hon.  Joshua  Forman.  The  City  of  Syracuse,  Its  Rise 
and  Progress.  ........69 


CHAPTER  XV. 

NOTES  ON  THE  SEVERAL  TOWNS  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY. 
ONONDAGA.  Asa  Danforth,  Esq.  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  Esq.  Jasper  Hopper, 


Esq.  Antiquities.  -  -  •  -  -  -  -  108 

SALINA,  -  13S 

GEDDES, . 149 

Great  Alarm,  1791.  ........  153 

LYSANDER.  Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin.  Baldwinsville.  -  -  159 

CICERO.  Brewerton.  Fort.  Frenchman’s  Island.  -  -  -  171 

CLAY, . 100 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

MANLIUS,  Hon.  Azariah  Smith.  Nicholas  P.  Randall,  Esq.  Manlius  Vil¬ 
lage.  Anecdote  of  Baron  Steuben.  Fayetteville.  Deep  Spring.  Green 

Pond. . 194 

DEWITT.  Moses  De  Witt,  Esq.  Jamesville.  Orville.  Messina  Springs.  232 
POMPEY.  Hollow.  Delphi.  Antiquities.  -  241 

LA  FAYETTE, . 282 

MARCELLUS,  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  289 

SKANEATELES,  Daniel  Kellogg,  Esq.  Village.  -  -  -301 

CAMILLUS.  Plaster.  Coal.  Col.  John  Dill.  -  -  -  -  313 

ELBRIDGE.  Jordan.  Cave.  Antiquities.  -  320 

VAN  BUREN,  --------  328 

FABIUS,  330 

TULLY, . -  -  -  335 

OTISCO.  Wyllys  Gaylord, . 339 

SPAFFORD,  348 

CHAPTER  XYI. 

OSWEGO. 

Erection  of  a  Trading  House  and  Fort,  by  Governor  Burnet.  Gen.  Shirley.  Col. 

Mercer.  Operations  of  Col.  Bradstreet.  Oswego  Falls.  Bone  Hill.  Oswego 

Taken  by  Montcalm.  Incidents.  Attacked  by  the  British  1813.  Early  Set¬ 
tlement.  ........  354 

Conclusion,  -----  -  -  -  393 


BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES  WITH  PORTRAITS,  VOL.  II. 


Page 

Hon.  James  Geddes, . 45 

Hon.  Joshua  Forman, . 69 

Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  Esq., . 118 

Jasper  Hopper,  Esq., . 124 

Doctor  Jonas  C.  Baldwin, . 159 

Hon.  Azariaii  Smith,  .  194 

Nicholas  P.  Randall,  Esq.,  .....  201 
Daniel  Kellogg,  Esq., . 800 

Other  Biographical  Notices. 

Hon.  William  Kirkpatrick,  ....  39 

Asa  Danforth,  Esq., . 115 

Moses  De  Witt,  Esq., . 230 

Dan  Bradley,  Esq., . 296 

Col.  John  Dill, . 317 

Mr.  Wyllys  Gaylord, . 339 


ILLUSTRATIONS,  YOL.  II. 


Page 

Diagram,  showing  the  geological  position  of  the  differ¬ 
ent  strata  of  rocks  in  the  county,  with  their  dip,  .  38 

Transverse  section  of  the  ancient  Onondaga  valley 
and  Lake,  .......  39 

Old  Fortification,  near  Greenpoint,  .  .  147 

Old  Fort  Brewerton,  . 181 

Pompey  Monumental  Stone,  ....  265 

Ancient  works  near  Delphi,  ....  269 
Old  Fort,  on  Isaac  Keeler’s  farm,  .  .  .  277 

Crucifixes,  Medals,  &c., . 280 

Ancient  works  at  Elbridge,  .  .  325,  326,  327 

View  of  Oswego  as  it  appeared  in  1755,  .  .  353 

Old  Fort  at  Oswego  Falls, . 365 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


7 


CHAPTER  XII. 


ONONDAGA  SALT  SPRINGS. 


When  first  visited  by  the  French — Salt  made  by  the  Indians — Owned  by 
Sir  William  Johnson — First  Manufacturers — Federal  Company — First 
Laws  in  respect  to  Salt  Springs,  passed  1797 — First  Superintendent — 
Powers  and  Duties  of  Superintendent  and  Lessees — Rules  observed  in 
Making  and  Packing  Salt — Coarse  Salt — Progress  of  Manufacture — 
Borings — Table  of  Statistics — List  of  Superintendents  and  Inspectors — 
Modf.s  of  Manufacture — Onondaga  Lake — Formation  of  the  Onondaga 
Valley. — Illustrations — Dr.  Wm.  Kirkpatrick. 

As  an  object  of  Natural  History,  the  Onondaga  Salt 
Springs  are  among  the  most  singular  and  valuable  productions 
with  which  bountiful  nature  has  enriched  our  country. 

As  an  object  of  Chemistry,  they  are  equally  interesting,  as 
affording  an  accurate  analysis  of  the  waters,  ascertaining  the 
various  heterogeneous  substances  which  they  hold  in  solution, 
and  the  just  proportions  of  each. 

As  an  object  of  political  interest,  they  deserve  particular 
consideration,  as  affording  a  vast  revenue  to  the  State,  giving 
employment  to  thousands  of  her  citizens,  and  supplying  our 
extensive  country  with  salt  of  its  own  manufacturing. 

On  all  these  points,  they  are  of  increasing  interest  and  of 
the  highest  importance,  not  only  to  our  country,  but  to  the 
State  at  large. 

These  springs  are  centrally  situated  in  the  county  of  On¬ 
ondaga,  on  the  banks  of  the  Onondaga  Lake,  from  the  village 
of  Liverpool,  'around,  the  southern  end  of  the  lake  to  the 


8 


ONONDAGA. 


outlet  of  Nine  Mile  Creek,  a  circuit  of  about  nine  miles. 
The  springs  formerly  issued  naturally  from  a  black  muck, 
which  composes  the  surface  of  the  marsh,  by  small  orifices, 
apparently  in  a  perpendicular  direction. 

The  marsh  from  whence  they  issued,  in  most  places,  was 
destitute  of  grass  and  other  vegetables,  except  samphire,  and 
when  the  sun  shone  the  water  was  evaporated  from  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  mud,  leaving  it  covered  with  chrystalized  salt. 
Other  substances  which  happened  within  the  reach  of  the 
salt  water,  were  frequently  covered  with  oxide  of  iron,  giving 
them  a  reddish  brown  color.  These  appearances  may  be  said 
to  be  annually  diminishing. 

The  salt  springs  at  Onondaga,  were  well  known  to  the  In¬ 
dians,  at  the  time  of  their  first  intercourse  with  the  whites. 
Father  Jerome  Lallemant,  is  the  first  French  writer  who  makes 
mention  of  the  u  Salt  Fountains ”  at  Onondaga,  in  his  Rela¬ 
tion  of  1645-46.* 

Father  Le  Moyne,  a  Jesuit  missionary,  who  had  spent  some 
time  among  the  Hurons,  and  who  first  came  to  Onondaga  in 
1653,  with  a  party  of  Huron  and  Onondaga  chiefs,  as  an  en¬ 
voy  to  ratify  a  treaty  of  peace  between  the  two  nations,  in 
which  the  French  of  Canada  were  interested,  is  supposed  to 
be  the  first  white  man  who  first,  personally,  took  notice  of 
the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs.  (See  Le  Moyne’s  Journal,  page 
138.)  His  discovery  and  declaration  was  an  event  so  unex¬ 
pected  and  surprising  to  the  Dutch,  to  whom  he  afterwards 
related  the  fact,  at  New  Amsterdam,  that  the  good  people  of 
that  city,  without  hesitation,  pronounced  it  u  a  Jesuit  lie." f 

Father  Iogues,  visited  the  Onondagas,  some  ten  years  ear¬ 
lier,  but  makes  no  mention  of  these  salt  springs.  It  is  possi¬ 
ble,  however,  that  he  may  have  known  of  them.  Francis 
Creuxius,  a  latin  writer  and  a  Jesuit  missionary,  gives  a  very 


*  He  speaks  in  these  words :  “  La  fontaine  dont  on  fait  des  tresbon  sel,  coup- 
pe  une  belle  prairie  environnee  de  bois  de  haute-  fustaye.  A  quartre-vingt  ou 
centaine  pas  de  cette  source  sallee  il  s’en  voit  une  autre  d’eau  douce  et  ces 
deux  contraires,  prenneut  naissame  du  sein  d’une  mesme  colline. 
f  Dr.  O.  Callaghan. 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


9 


minute  description  of  the  Onondaga  valley,  in  1665.  (See 
early  history,  page  149.) 

Charlevoix,  as  well  as  others  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  fre¬ 
quently  alludes  to  the  salt  springs  at  Onondaga. 

In  1770,  Onondaga  salt  was  in  common  use  among  the 
Delaware  Indians,  who  in  that  year  brought  a  quantity  of  it 
to  the  house  of  the  Father  of  the  late  Judge  Bowker,  of  Cay¬ 
uga,  who  then  lived  at  a  place  called  Papeconck ,  (now  Col¬ 
chester.)  He  says  that  it  was  common  for  the  traders,  at  that 
day,  to  bring  small  quantities  of  this  salt  to  Albany,  along 
with  their  furs  as  a  curiosity,  and  that  they  always  spoke  in 
high  praise  of  the  salt  springs  at  Onondaga. 

He  says,  that  at  that  period  he  has  seen  salt  in  the  Indian 
huts  at  Onondaga,  and  the  Indian  women  engaged  in  making 
it,  and  that  it  was  sometimes  sent  to  Quebec  for  sale. 

In  a  letter  of  Colonel  Comfort  Tyler,  to  Doctor  Jeremiah 
Van  Rensselaer,  in  1822,  which  was  published  in  an  appendix 
to  his  Essay  on  Salt,  Colonel  Tyler  says,  “I  was  informed 
that  Sir  William  Johnson  had  several  years  before  obtained  a 
deed  from  the  Indians  of  a  tract,  one  mile  in  width,  adjoining 
and  including  the  entire  lake,  and  that  he  made  the  purchase 
on  account  of  some  salt  water  which  had  been  discovered  upon 
the  margin  of  the  lake.” 

They  were  well  known  by  reputation  to  exist,  although  not 
explored  prior  to  the  American  Revolution,  and  the  Legisla¬ 
ture  of  New-York,  at  an  early  day,  duly  appreciated  their 
rising  value.  By  the  treaty  of  “Fort  Schuyler,  formerly 
called  Fort  Stanwix,”  held  12th  September,  1788,  the  Onon¬ 
daga  Indians  ceded  to  the  State  of  New-York,  “  all  their  lands 
forever,”  excepting  certain  “  tracts  reserved.”  (See  Treaties, 
page  348.) 

At  the  time  the  Military  Bounty  Lands  were  ordered  to  be 
surveyed,  in  1791-92,  the  Surveyor  General  was  directed  to 
make  a  sufficient  reservation,  to  secure  all  the  salt  springs 
around  the  Onondaga  Lake.  The  first  settlers  commenced  the 
making  of  salt  in  1788. 

Colonel  Tyler’s  letter  before  referred  to,  says,  “  In  the 


10 


ONONDAGA. 


month  of  May,  in  the  same  year,  (1788,)  the  family  wanting 
salt,  obtained  about  a  pound  from  the  Indians,  which  they  had 
made  from  the  water  of  the  springs  upon  the  shore  of  the 
lake.  The  Indians  offered  to  discover  the  water  to  us.  Ac¬ 
cordingly,  I  went  with  an  Indian  guide  to  the  lake,  taking 
along  an  iron  kettle,  of  fifteen  gallons  capacity ;  this  he  placed 
in  his  canoe,  and  steered  out  of  the  mouth  of  Onondaga  Creek, 
easterly,  into  a  pass,  since  called  Mud  Creek.  After  passing 
over  the  marsh,  then  flowed  by  about  three  feet  of  water,  and 
steering  towards  the  bluff  of  hard  land,  (since  the  village  of 
Salina,)  he  fastened  his  canoe,  pointed  to  a  hole  apparently  arti¬ 
ficial,  and  said,  there  was  the  salt.” 

At  this  time  Col.  Tyler  informs  us  that  he  made,  in  about 
nine  hours,  thirteen  bushels  of  salt  of  an  inferior  quality. 

Asa  Danforth,  Esq.,  commenced  making  salt  in  that  year, 
by  carrying  a  five  pail  kettle  from  his  residence  at  Onondaga 
Hollow.  lie  placed  his  coat  on  his  head,  inverted  the  kettle 
thereon,  and  it  has  been  said,  carried  it  the  whole  distance 
without  taking  it  off  to  rest.  Comfort  Tyler  accompanied 
him,  carrying  an  axe,  chain,  and  other  necessary  implements, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  a  suitable  erection  to  “  boil  salt.” 
They  set  up  two  crotches,  suspended  their  kettle  on  a  chain 
around  a  pole,  between  them,  and  thus  carried  on  the  business 
of  making  salt.  After  a  sufficient  quantity  was  made  for  pre¬ 
sent  wants,  the  kettle,  chain,  &c.,  were  hid  in  the  bushes,  till 
wanted  on  another  occasion.  This  practice  was  continued  till 
the  following  year.  In  the  fall  of  1789,  Nathaniel  Loomis* 
catne  to  Salt  Point  with  a  few  kettles  in  a  boat,  by  way  of 
Oneida  Lake  and  River,  and  during  the  winter  of  1789  and 
’90,  made  from  500  to  600  bushels  of  salt,  which  he  sold  for 
one  dollar  per  bushel,  f  Mr.  William  Yan  Vleck,  who  was  an 
early  settler  at  Salt  Point,  and  Jeremiah  Gould  afterwards 
made  salt,  in  caldron  kettles  set  in  arches.  In  1793,  Moses 
I)e  Witt,  Esq.,  and  William  Yan  Vleck,  entered  into  a  co- 


*  Mr.  Loomis  was  living  two  years  ago  at  Bridgewater,  Oneida  Co.  N.  Y. 
t  Col.  Tyler’s  letter  to  Dr.  V.  It. 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


11 


partnership,  and  erected  an  arch  containing  four  potash  ket¬ 
tles  and  manufactured  quantities  sufficient  for  the  wants  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  surrounding  country.  Other  makers 
of  salt  soon  succeeded.  For  several  years  the  salt  houses 
were  built  of  lo^s.  The  Federal  Company,  consisting  of  Asa 
Danforth,  Jedediah  Sanger,  Daniel  Keeler,  Thomas  Hart, 
Ebenezer  Butler,  Elisha  Alvord  and  Ilezekiah  Olcott,  was 
organized,  1798.  The  object  of  the  company  was  to  manu¬ 
facture  salt  on  a  stupendous  scale.  They  erected  a  building 
of  large  dimensions  for  that  period,  capable  of  containing 
thirty-two  kettles  which  were  set  in  blocks  of  four  kettles 
each.  Water  was  then  pumped  by  hand,  from  a  single  shallow 
well,  not  thirty  feet  deep,  into  reservoirs  made  of  dug  out  white 
wood  logs.  Thus  within  a  very  few  years  from  the  com¬ 
mencement,  the  manufacture  of  salt  acquired  considerable 
celebrity,  and  “  Salt  Point”  became  a  placeof  notoriety  abroad. 
James  Geddes  also  commenced  the  manufacture  of  salt  at 
Geddes  in  1793,  ’4;  and  very  soon  after,  the  manufacture  was 
commenced  at  Liverpool,  by  John  Danforth.  The  business  wa3 
so  much  increased  in  1797,  that  the  Legislature  in  that  year, 
passed  their  first  laws,  in  reference  to  the  manufacture  of  salt 
at  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs.  By  this  act,  the  Surveyor 
General  was  required  to  lay  out  the  salt  springs  reservation 
into  lots,  not  exceeding  ten  acres,  with  five  acres  of  salt  marsh 
for  the  convenience  of  persons  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  salt.  A  lot  of  larger  dimensions,  might  be  reserved  for  a 
public  store  house  and  other  public  uses.  The  Surveyor  Gen¬ 
eral  was  directed  to  make  the  survey  in  person,  and  to  execute 
a  lease  for  three  years,  to  any  person,  who  had  already  erected 
and  occupied  salt  works,  on  any  lot,  at  this  time  surveyed, 
upon  the  following  terms.  For  every  kettle  or  pan,  used  or 
to  be  used,  the  lessee  should  cause  to  be  made  at  least,  ten 
bushels  of  Salt  annually,  and  pay  as  a  rent  for  the  premises 
four  cents,  for  every  bushel  of  salt  made  thereon  during  the 
time.  And  if  the  spring  or  springs,  on  any  of  the  said  lots, 
should  yield  more  water,  from  which  salt  could  be  extracted, 
than  was  sufficient  for  the  manufactories  established  or  to  be 


12 


ONONDAGA. 


established  ou  said  lot,  the  lessees  of  any  of  the  adjoining- 
lots,  might  lead  the  surplus  waters  to  their  manufactories, 
and  the  remaining  surplus  water  to  the  next,  and  so  on  till  the 
same  should  become  exhausted.  William  Stevens  was  ap¬ 
pointed  the  first  Superintendent  of  Onondaga  Salt  Springs, 
20th  June,  1797,  and  continued  in  office  till  his  death. 

The  Superintendent,  was  authorized  to  settle  all  disputes, 
and  his  award  was  to  be  final  and  conclusive.  Makers  of  salt 
were  under  penalty,  required,  at  any  time,  either  directly  or 
indirectly,  not  to  ask,  demand  or  receive  more  than  sixty  cents 
a  bushel,  for  salt  made  on  their  respective  premises,  and  that 
no  salt  should  be  sold  on  the  leased  premises ;  but  all  salt  made 
should  be  put  up  into  barrels  or  casks,  upon  each  of  which  the 
name  of  the  maker,  and  the  quantity  of  the  salt  contained,  should 
be  branded,  and  then  delivered  to  the  Superintendent  of  the 
Salt  Springs,  at  the  store  or  stores  by  him  provided,  and  there 
stored  till  the  same  was  sold.  Any  proprietor  of  a  salt  lot, 
who  did  not  accept  a  lease  on  the  foregoing  terms,  forfeited 
his  right  to  the  same,  and  the  Surveyor  General  was  directed 
to  sell  the  same  at  public  auction. 

The-Superintendent  was  authorized  to  assign  at  his  discre¬ 
tion,  to  each  of  the  lessees,  a  certain  proportion  of  the  sa,lt 
marsh,  to  be  improved  by  them,  for  the  purpose  of  “  cutting 
grass  or  sedge ”  thereon  ;  and  any  lessee  was  allowed  to  cut 
a  canal  from  his  works  through  the  marsh  to  the  lake.  Any 
occupant  who  did  not  choose  to  accept  the  terms  of  the  new 
lease,  was  allowed  to  remove  his  kettles  and  furniture  belong¬ 
ing  to  his  works,  and  to  receive  pay  from  the  State  for  any 
works  he  had  erected. 

The  duties  of  the  Superintendent  were  defined.  He  was 
directed  to  store  all  salt  made  at  the  several  works,  brand  his 
name,  and  the  year  when  made,  on  each  cask,  and  to  deliver 
the  same  to  the  respective  owners,  as  they  sold  the  same,  upon 
their  paying  to  him  the  lawful  rent,  and  one  cent  per  bushel 
for  storage ;  always  taking  care  to  keep  in  store,  at  least  two. 
thousand  bushels  ;  and,  after  the  first  year,  the  quantity  was 
to  be  increased,  by  five  hundred  bushels  for  each  year,  which 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


18 


quantity  was  to  be  kept  in  store,  to  meet  demands  made  by 
the  citizens 'of  the  State  of  New-York,  who  depended  on  ob¬ 
taining  their  supply  from  these  works.  Superintendent  was 
required  to  sell  to  any  citizen  of  the  State,  of  the  salt  so  stored, 
sufficient  for  his  own  use,  for  sixty  cents  per  bushel,  reserving 
for  rent  and  storage,  five  cents  per  bushel,  paying  to  the 
maker,  fifty-five  cents  per  bushel.  Owners  of  stores  were  al¬ 
lowed  to  store  salt  in  their  own  stores,  but  the  keys  were  to 
be  left  with  the  Superintendent,  that  he  might  have  the  sole 
care  and  custody  thereof.  In  such  case,  the  owner  was  not 
chargeable  with  storage.  The  Superintendent  was  charged 
with  .the  wood  on  the  reservation,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  salt 
springs.  The  first  store-house,  or  the  building  used  for  that 
purpose,  was  the  old  “  Block-house,”  built  for  defense  in  1794. 

The  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  was  authorized  by  the 
Legislature,  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  wharf  and  store¬ 
house  at  the  salt  springs,  as  the  Surveyor  General  should  di¬ 
rect.  At  the  expiration  of  the  leases,  the  Legislature  re¬ 
served  the  right,  to  take  any  of  the  works  by  paying  the 
owners  the  true  value  thereof,  to  be  ascertained  by  competent 
persons,  appointed  by  the  Legislature,  or  to  grant  new  leases 
on  like  terms,  for  the  term  of  seven  years.  Individuals  were 
made  punishable  for  occupying  any  part  of  the  reservation 
without  a  lease  from  the  Superintendent,  who  was  to  receive 
a  salary  of  eight  hundred  dollars  per  year,  and  was  not  to  al¬ 
low  the  duties,  to  be  done  by  another.  It  may  be  worthy  of 
remark,  that  it  was  sometimes  customary  for  the  Superintend¬ 
ent  to  give  certificates,  for  deposites  of  salt  in  the  public  store¬ 
house,  and  these  certificates  passed  from  one  to  another,  as 
cash,  so  that  the  public  store-house  in  substance  became  a 
Bank.  The  manufacturing  of  salt  steadily  increased. .  The 
business,  except  sufficient  to  pay  the  rents  and  duties  was 
mainly  carried  on  by  exchanges  of  the  productions  of  the 
soil  for  salt,  and  not  much  more  was  made,  than  to  satisfy 
the  demands  of  home  consumption.  Some,  however,  made 
its  way  to  Canada,  by  water  carriage,  and  to  Utica,  through 
Oneida  Lake,  and  through  the  Seneca  Iliver,  to  the  villages 


14 


O  NO  N  D  A  G  A . 


on  the  lesser  lakes.  In  winter,  the  store-houses  and  works, 
in  seasons  of  sleighing,  were  nearly  emptied ;  the  article 
having  a  demand  in  the  southern  counties  of  Tioga  and  Che¬ 
nango.  The  business  of  manufacturing  salt  became  more  ex- 
tensive  than  the  Legislature  had  anticipated,  and  it  was  found 
impossible  for  the  Superintendent  to  store  all  the  salt  that 
was  made,  and  charge  the  rents  and  duties  thereon,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  provisions  of  the  statute.  It  was  therefore  enacted, 
30th  of  March,  1798,  that  lessees  should  account  to  the  Su¬ 
perintendent,  under  oath,  for  the  quantity  made,  and  lessees 
were  allowed  to  pay  rent,  according  to  the  capacity  of  their 
kettles,  at  the  rate  of  two  cents  per  month  for  every  gallon 
of  the  capacity  of  their  pans  or  kettles,  instead  of  the  rent 
of  four  cents  per  bushel,  as  provided  for  in  the  several  leases. 

All  persons  who  complied  with  this  new  regulation,  and 
accounted  punctually,  once  a  week  to  the  Superintendent, 
for  the  quantity  made,  were  permitted  to  sell  the  same  on  the 
premises,  but  only  in  quantities  less  than  three  bushels,  unless 
the  same  was  put  up  in  casks,  boxes  or  barrels,  well  made,  of 
seasoned  timber,  and  branded  with  the  initials  of  the  first 
names,  and  the  surname  in  full,  and  inspected  by  the  Super¬ 
intendent.  All  salt  made  at  any  manufactory,  should  be  sold 
by  weight,  at  the  rate  of  fifty-six  pounds  per  bushel.  The 
Superintendent  was  authorized  to  lease  lots  to  new  applicants, 
and  whenever  they  had  erected  a  sufficient  manufactory,  with 
kettles  or  pans,  with  a  capacity  of  three  hundred  and  forty 
gallons,  the  lease  was  to  be  confirmed. 

In  1799,  an  act  was  passed,  requiring  all  salt,  manufac¬ 
tured  at  the  salt  springs,  to  be  deposited  in  the  public  store¬ 
house,  for  inspection,  and  if  necessary,  sort  it  into  two  quali¬ 
ties.  The  first  quality  to  be  free  from  dirt  and  filth,  with  the 
bitterns  properly  separated  therefrom,  and  fully  drained  from 
brine.  The  second  quality,  to  be  free  from  impurities,  dry, 
and  not  more  that  twenty-five  per  cent,  inferior  to  the  first 
quality.  All  salt  so  manufactured,  was  directed  by  law,  to  be 
packed  in  good,  seasoned  white  oak  casks,  water  tight,  well 
hooped  with  twelve  hoops,  three  on  each  head  and  three  on  each 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


15 


bilge,  to  be  thirty  inches  long,  and  the  diameter  of  each  head 
to  be  nineteen  inches.  The  Superintendent  was  directed  to 
mark  the  tare  on  each  barrel,  and  after  the  whole  was  weighed, 
deduct  the  tare,  and  brand  the  weight  and  quality,  and  put 
on  the  number  of  cents,  he  should  adjudge  the  salt  to  be 
worth  per  bushel,  and  brand  his  name  on  the  same.  The 
Superintendent,  on  receiving  and  inspecting  any  salt,  as  afore¬ 
said,  in  the  public  stores,  gave  the  manufacturer  a  certificate 
for  the  same,  and  he  delivered  the  same  salt  to  the  bearer  of 
the  certificate,  on  his  paying  five  cents  for  rent  and  storage, 
for  every  fifty-six  pounds  weight.  The  Superintendent  was 
authorized  to  inspect  salt,  ready  for  transportation  by  water, 
and  no  salt  was  to  be  shipped,  but  from  the  public  wharf,  on 
penalty  of  five  dollars,  for  every  bushel  so  shipped,  to  be  paid 
by  the  shipper,  or  the  person  receiving  the  same  in  any  boat 
or  vessel,  besides  the  forfeiture  of  the  salt,  which  was  to  be 
seized  for  the  benefit  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  New- York. 
It  was  made  the  duty  of  the  Superintendent-,  to  seize  any 
salt  on  board  any  boat,  wagon,  sleigh,  or  other  carriage,  and 
remove  the  same  to  the  public  store-house,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  people  of  the  State.  Any  person  packing  any  unin¬ 
spected  salt,  was  to  be  fined  five  dollars.  The  Superintend¬ 
ent  was  required  to  provide  and  keep  for  every  manufacturer, 
a  separate  bin  for  his  salt,  previous  to  its  being  inspected  and 
sold.  A  penalty  of  five  dollars  was  forfeited  by  any  person, 
who  should  buy  or  sell  any  uninspected  salt.  Settlements 
were  required  to  be  made  quarterly  with  the  lessees,  and 
arrears  of  rent  were  allowed  to  be  paid  in  salt.  The  Super¬ 
intendent  was  allowed  this  year,  one  hundred  dollars  for  the 
hire  of  an  assistant,  and  pay  for  stationery,  brands  and  im¬ 
plements,  necessary  for  the  inspection  of  salt.  Heavy  penal¬ 
ties  were  enacted  against  any  who  should  cut  or  carry  off  wood 
from  the  reservation,  without  consent  of  the  Superintendent. 
He  was  required  to  settle  all  accounts  with  each  lessee  or  man¬ 
ufacturer  on  the  first  day  of  January  in  each  year,  account 
with  the  comptroller  yearly,  and  report  to  the  Legislature  the 
state  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs. 


16 


ONONDAGA. 


In  1801,  the  act  relative  to  the  Superintendent’s  keeping  a 
quantity  of  salt  in  store  was  repealed,  and  the  one  cent  duty 
was  not  to  be  demanded. 

William  Kirkpatrick  was  appointed  Superintendent  of  On¬ 
ondaga  Salt  Springs,  April  8,  1806.  His  is  the  first  report 
to  which  we  have  had  access.  On  the  first  of  January,  that 
year,  he  reports  159,071  bushels  as  made  during  the  year  end¬ 
ing  January  1, 1806 ;  and  the  year  following,  he  reports  154,- 
760  bushels  as  manufactured  at  the  salt  springs.  About  this 
time,  John  Richardson,  Esq.  erected  a  frame  salt  works  and 
ten  kettle  block  in  a  rude  arch,  which  was  thought  to  be  almost 
a  miracle,  far  exceeding  any  thing  before  erected. 

The  first  well  of  any  note  was  at  Salina — a  large  hole  twenty 
feet  square  and  about  thirty  feet  deep — sunk  during  the  su¬ 
perintendence  of  Dr.  Kirkpatrick.  Each  manufacturer  then 
set  his  own  pumps  ;  the  water  was  pumped  by  hand  and  con¬ 
ducted  in  spouts  to  the  several  works.  The  introduction  of 
Hathaway’s  patent  hand  pump  was  considered  a  vast  improve¬ 
ment. 

John  Richardson  was  appointed  Superintendent,  February 
16,  1810.  While  in  office,  he  conducted  the  water  of  Yellow 
Brook  from  Syracuse  to  Salina,  for  the  purpose  of  driving  a 
wheel  for  the  elevation  of  brine.  This  is  believed  to  be  the 
first  machinery  erected  for  that  purpose.  Pumps  were  soon 
after  worked  by  horse-power. 

From  1812,  after  the  reinstatement  of  Hr.  Kirkpatrick,  we 
have  nearly  all  the  Superintendent’s  reports.  First  of  Janu¬ 
ary,  1813,  Hr.  Kirkpatrick  reports  221,011  bushels,  besides 
one  hundred  bushels  delivered  to  the  Onondaga  Indians ;  and 
the  duty  of  three  cents  per  bushel,  then  collected,  yielded  a 
revenue  of  $6,630  33. 

In  1812,  an  act  was  passed  directing  that  the  Superintend¬ 
ent  should  be  appointed  by  the  Legislature,  and  hold  his  office 
during  their  pleasure,  having  been  previously  appointed  by  the 
Governor  and  Senate.  He  was  required  to  give  bonds  within 
thirty  days  after  his  appointment,  in  the  penalty  of  $25,000, 
tor  the  faithful  administration  of  his  office,  and  to  make  a  full 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


17 


report  of  the  condition  of  the  salt  springs  on  the  first  of  Jan¬ 
uary  in  each  year — a  duty  which  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  faithfully 
performed  during  the  long  period  of  his  holding  the  office. 
He  was  required  to  appoint  a  deputy  for  each  of  the  villages 
of  Salina,  Liverpool  and  Geddes.  A  duty  of  three  cents  per 
bushel  was  to  be  paid  by  the  purchaser  or  seller,  at  the  tine 
of  inspection.  If  any  lessee  did  not  elect  to  pay  the  duty, 
then  he  was  bound  to  pay  five  cents  per  quarter  on  each  gal¬ 
lon  of  capacity  of  pan  or  kettles  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
salt.  The  Superintendent  was  required  to  lay  out  two  acres 
of  land  on  such  part  of  the  reservation  as  he  should  think 
proper,  for  the  purpose  of  making  salt  by  evaporation,  other 
than  by  fire ;  and  he  was  further  authorised  to  lease  the  same, 
free  of  rent  or  duty,  as  he  should  think  proper,  to  encourage 
the  experiment  of  making  salt  by  such  evaporation.  His  sala¬ 
ry  was  continued  at  $800  per  annum,  and  he  was  allowed  $850 
for  the  salaries  of  his  three  deputies,  with  allowances  for  in¬ 
struments,  stationery,  &c.  necessary  for  the  performance  of 
his  duties.  January  1,  1814,  he  reports  226,000  bushels  of 
manufactured  salt;  revenue,  from  duties,  $6,780  00. 

In  1813,  an  act  was  passed  providing  for  the  appointment 
of  an  assistant  deputy  superintendent,  to  keep  the  office  of 
inspection,  which  office  was  to  be  kept  open  from  the  rising  to 
the  setting  of  the  sun  ;  and  no  deputy  or  assistant  deputy  was 
*  to  have  any  interest  whatever  in  any  salt  works. 

January,  1815,  Superintendent  reports  295,215  bushels  as 
the  amount  of  salt  manufactured  at  the  several  salt  works  in 
the  town  of  Salina,  and  the  revenue  at  three  cents  per  bushel, 

$7,856  45 

Other  sources,  940  00 


Whole  revenue  for  year  ending  1st.  Jan.,  1815,  $8,796  45 

In  1816  the  office  of  Deputy  Superintendent  was  abolished 
and  the  salary  of  the  Superintendent  increased  by  $250  per 
year. 

In  1816,  for  the  increase  of  the  canal  fund  a  duty  of  twelve 
and  a  half  cents  per  bushel  was  laid  upon  Onondaga  salt,  to 

b  2 


18 


ONONDAGA. 


be  collected  as  heretofore,  the  three  cent  duty  being  set  aside,, 
and  the  Superintendent  instead  of  making  a  yearly  report 
to  the  Legislature,  was  required  to  make  a  quarterly  report,  to 
the  Commissioners  of  the  Canal  Fund,  and  pay  into  the  treasury 
of  the  State,  all  monies  collected,  except  satisfaction  for  sala¬ 
ries  and  expenses,  on  the  first  Tuesdays  of  February,  May, 
August  and  November,  in  each  year. 

First  of  January  1816,  Superintendent  reports  322,058 
bushels  manufactured  and  the  revenue  at  three  cents  per 
bushel,  $9,661,74.  The  annual  reports  of  Superintendent 
from  1818  to  1823  have  not  been  obtained  and  the  statistics 
for  those  years  are  necessarily  omitted. 

In  1820,  the  Commissioners  of  the  land  office  were  author¬ 
ized,  to  survey  and  lay  out  lots  on  the  salt  spring  reservation, 
like  other  unappropriated  lands  in  the  State,  and  sell  them, 
for  the  convenience  and  furtherance  of  the  growth  of  the  vil¬ 
lages  on  said  reservation,  and  to  lay  out  so  many  village  and 
manufacturing  lots,  with  such  additional  streets,  squares,  &c., 
as  the  wants  and  future  growth  and  accommodation  of  the 
villages,  and  the  extension  of  salt  manufactories  on  said  tract 
might  require.  These  lots  were  to  be  sold  and  the  proceeds 
handed  over  to  the  Commissioners  of  the  Canal  Fund  and 
$20,000,  arising  from  the  first  of  said  sales,  was  to  be  applied 
and  appropriated,  to  the  improvement  of  the  navigation  of 
Oswego  river.  Additional  caution  was  used  in  the  manufac¬ 
ture  and  inspection  of  salt. 

The  use  of  lime  or  ashes  was  prohibited  in  the  manufacture 
of  salt,  under  a  penalty  of  fifty  dollars  for  each  and  every 
offense,  and  manufacturers  were  required  to  keep  in  use  two 
good  bittern  pans,  for  every  three  kettles,  employed  in  the 
manufacture  of  salt,  under  penalty  of  twenty-five  cents  for 
every  case  of  neglect.  The  effect  of  these  seemingly  arbi¬ 
trary  laws  and  their  wholesome  administration  was  the  means 
of  improving  the  quality  of  the  Onondaga  salt,  which  for 
years  had  been  mingled  with  impurities  incident  to  careless¬ 
ness  and  neglect. 

The  term  reservation,  was  construed  to  mean  and  be,  all 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


19 


the  territory,  which  was  originally  set  apart  and  reserved  for 
the  salt  springs  of  Onondaga  County.  Privilege  was  given 
to  every  individual  or  company,  to  erect  works  for  the  manu¬ 
facture  of  coarse  salt,  by  evaporation  in  the  sun,  or  by  arti¬ 
ficial  heat  in  vats  or  pans,  on  any  of  the  public  lands,  reserved 
by  the  commissioners  of  the  land  office,  for  the  purpose  of 
manufacturing  coarse  salt  only,  for  the  term  of  twenty  years. 
Such  individuals  or  companies,  erecting  manufactories  of 
coarse  salt,  were  allowed  to  pump  and  use  any  surplus  water 
from  any  of  the  salt  springs  at  Salina,  and  carry  the  same  in 
aqueducts,  to  reservoirs,  to  be  erected  at  proper  elevations, 
and  from  the  reservoirs  to  these  manufactories,  and  to  use  so 
much  of  the  surplus  water  of  the  Erie  Canal  on  the  Salina 
level,  as  might  be  necessary  to  pump  the  same;  subject  to  the 
supervision  of  the  canal  commissioners,  and  they  were  obliged 
to  pump  for  any  other  manufactories  at  a  rate  not  exceeding 
two  mills  per  bushel  whenever  there  was  sufficient  water  in  the 
Erie  C.anal,  for  driving  machinery  and  sufficient  surplus  brine 
in  the  springs  at  Salina.  The  State  might  take  and  occupy 
the  same  at  any  time  by  paying  the  owners  a  fair  value  for 
the  same. 

Major  Benajah  Byington,  who  for  a  number  of  years  had 
been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  salt  at  Salina,  was  au¬ 
thorized  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  in  1820,  to  bore 
for  rock  salt,  at  any  point  on  the  reservation.  In  case  of  dis¬ 
covery  within  three  years,  the  State  was  to  give  him  a  premium 
of  two  cents  per  bushel  of  fifty-six  pounds,  on  all  salt  dug, 
used  or  manufactured  from  such  rock  salt,  for  the  term  of  ten 
years ;  at  the  same  time,  reserving  the  right  to  take  back,  into 
their  own  hands,  any  works,  pits,  mines,  or  erections,  at  any 
time,  by  paying  three  times  what  the  same  should  cost  the 
proprietor.  This  act  was  renewed  and  strenuous  efforts  were 
made  to  find  rock  salt,  but  without  success.;  and  it  is  now  ge¬ 
nerally  conceded  that  rock  salt  is  not  to  be  found,  by  boring 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  salt  springs.  His  borings 
and  explorations  were  mostly  made  on  the  high  grounds  east 
of  Salina. 


20 


ONONDAGA. 


To  prevent  frauds  on  the  revenue  and  for  the  interest  of 
the  State,  it  was  enacted,  in  1821,  that  the  Superintendent 
might  charge  duties  on  the  salt  water  manufactured  in  vats 
or  pans,  according  to  the  quantity  of  salt  they  were  capable 
of  producing,  after  making  due  allowance  for  waste  and  im¬ 
purities.  Duties  were  to  be  paid  quarterly,  on  the  first  days 
of  January,  April,  July  and  October.  In  case  of  non-pay¬ 
ment,  the  Superintendent  was  authorised  to  enter  on  and  sell 
such  manufactory  at  public  auction.  The  commissioners  were 
directed  to  lay  out  and  set  apart,  on  and  near  the  bank  of  the 
Erie  canal,  between  the  village  of  Salina  and  the  Erie  canal, 
and  elsewhere  in  the  town  of  Salina,  suitable  lands  for  the 
erection  of  manufactories  of  coarse  salt,  according  to  the  pro¬ 
visions  of  the  statute.  This  may  be  considered  the  origin  and 
commencement  of  our  solar  evaporating  salt  works.  Soon  af¬ 
ter  this  were  organized  the  Onondaga  and  Syracuse  Salt  Com¬ 
panies,  who  erected  suitable  vats  and  apparatus  for  the  manu¬ 
facture  of  coarse  salt. 

As  an  encouragement  for  the  manufacture  of  coarse  salt, 
an  act  was  passed  in  1822,  offering  a  bounty  of  three  cents 
per  measured  bushel  on  all  coarse  salt  which  should  find  its 
way  to  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  River  or  Lake  Erie,  or  that 
should  be  shipped  from  Oswego  to  Lower  Canada,  for  the  term 
of  five  years.  This  bounty  was  to  be  paid  to  the  two  first 
manufactories  of  coarse  salt,  owned  by  individuals  or  compa¬ 
nies,  who  should  first  and  within  five  years  manufacture  100,- 
000  bushels  of  coarse  salt  each.  As  a  further  inducement, 
these  coarse  salt  manufactories  were  allowed  the  first  privilege 
of  salt  water  from  the  springs.  The  wilful  destroying  of  any 
coarse  salt  erections  by  fire  or  otherwise  was  made  a  felony. 
All  laborers  engaged  about  the  coarse  salt  works  were  exempt 
from  serving  on  juries  and  from  ordinary  military  duty. 

Four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  was  appropriated  for 
the  purpose  of  lowering  Onondaga  Lake.  The  canal  com¬ 
missioners  were  instructed  to  cut  a  channel,  of  such  width  and 
depth  as  in  their  opinion  would  be  necessary  to  permit  the 
waters  of  the  lake  to  subside  to  a  level  with  Seneca  River. 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


21 


This  operation  was  considered  quite  an  improvement  in  the 
navigation  of  the  Onondaga  River,  and  in  laying  bare  a  wide 
surface  of  the  salt  marsh,  which  at  high  water  was  inundated. 

Previous  to  1822,  the  manufacture  of  salt  by  boiling  had 
been  confined  by  law  to  particular  portions  of  the  reservation, 
called  salt  lots,  at  the  villages  of  Salina,  Geddes  and  Liver¬ 
pool.  This  year  an  act  was  passed,  allowing  salt  to  be  man¬ 
ufactured  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Salina  canal  and  elsewhere. 
There  seemed  to  be  a  settled  opposition  to  this  law  and  to  its 
going  into  practical  operation,  by  certain  people  who  clamor¬ 
ously  opposed  it.  The  first  demonstration  towards  extending 
works  along  the  Salina  canal  was  made  by  John  Wilkinson, 
Matthew  Davis,  George  Davis  and  Henry  Gifford,  who  pro¬ 
ceeded  to  erect  their  salt  works.  The  Superintendent  remon¬ 
strated,  stormed,  scolded  and  threatened  to  tear  it  down ;  order¬ 
ed  all  workmen  to  keep  clear  of  it,  or  they  might  bring  them¬ 
selves  into  trouble.  Amidst  all  the  turmoil  and  confusion  the 
work  went  vigorously  on,  till  in  due  time  it  was  completed,  and 
directly  their  works  went  into  successful  operation.  They 
were  supplied  with  brine  from  the  coarse  salt  company’s  works. 
Mr.  Wilkinson  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Gifford,  and  the  re¬ 
maining  partners  carried  on  the  manufacture  of  salt,  the  first 
out  of  the  original  salt  lots  of  Salina.  After  a  while  opposi¬ 
tion  ceased.  Others  seeing  these  works  going  on  in  success¬ 
ful  and  unembarrassed  operation,  erected  salt  works  all  along 
the  Salina  canal,  which  have  since  continued,  without  opposi¬ 
tion,  in  uninterrupted  prosperity. 

In  1828,  an  act  was  passed  for  the  closer  inspection  of  salt, 
and  provision  made  for  the  appointment  of  an  Inspector,  with 
necessary  assistants  ;  one  to  reside  at  each  of  the  villages  of 
Salina,  Syracuse,  Liverpool  and  Geddes.  Heavy  penalties 
were  enacted  against  every  species  of  fraud,  and  against  the 
waste  of  water.  Amount  of  salt  inspected  in  1824  was  827,162. 
bushels. 

In  1825,  an  act  was  passed  providing  an  engineer  for  the 
salt  works  at  Salina.  Simeon  Ford,  Esq.  was  appointed  by 
the  Governor  and  Senate,  and  to  him  was  assigned  the  whole 


22 


ONONDAGA. 


possession  and  supervision  of  pumps,  aqueducts,  reservoirs, 
wells,  conduits  and  machinery,  and  with  the  distribution  of 
the  salt  water,  at  a  salary  of  one  thousand  dollars  per  year. 
His  first  report  was  made  to  the  Legislature  on  the  7th  of 
February,  1826. 

His  first  movement  was  to  take  possession  in  behalf  of  the 
State,  of  all  the  buildings  and  machinery  of  the  Onondaga 
and  Syracuse  Coarse  Salt  Companies,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
compounding  with  said  companies  for  the  reasonable  value 
thereof,  the  whole  matter  was  submitted  to  Azariah  Smith 
and  Sylvanus  Tousley,  of  Manlius  and  Robert  Richardson,  of 
Vernon,  who,  after  due  examination,  awarded  the  companies 
$8,700,  which  sum  was  paid  them  by  the  treasurer  of  the 
State. 

The  property,  thus  taken  into  the  possession  of  the  State, 
consisted  of  a  well  and  reservoir  with  two  chambers  sixty  feet 
long  by  twenty-five  wide,  each  six  feet  deep,  with  about  twen¬ 
ty-five  miles  of  wooden  tubes  for  conveying  salt  water.  In 
his  report  he  states  the  following  observations 

“  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  there  are  large  beds  of  fossil  salt 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Salina,  and  recommends  the  carrying 
down  a  shaft  to  a  considerable  depth.  The  probability  is,  that 
the  fresh  water  which  enters  into  the  salt  pits  enters  the  ground 
on  the  oak  hills  back  from  the  lake,  and  passing  over  the  rock 
becomes  more  or  less  saturated,  according  to  the  quantity  ad¬ 
mitted  and  the  time  taken  up  in  passing  over  the  rocks.  The 
reason  why  the  water  is  supposed  to  come  from  the  oak  hills 
is,  that  whenever  the  present  well  is  cleansed,  acorns,  hickory 
nuts,  leaves,  sticks  and  pieces  of  oak  wood  will  be  found  rising 
through  the  orifices  in  which  the  salt  water  appears,  from  the 
bottom  of  the  well.  A  large  mandrake  rose  through  one  of 
the  crevices  at  the  bottom,  and  was  taken  out  in  a  complete 
state  of  saturation.” 

Under  the  direction  of  the  engineer,  a  new  well  was  sunk, 
thirty  feet  deep  and  twelve  feet  in  diameter.  This  was  done 
as  follows :  staves  were  dressed  out  thirty-two  feet  long,  well 
fitted  together  with  grooves  and  tongues,  and  then  set  up  in 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


23 


the  form  of  a  cylinder  and  strongly  banded  With  iron.  By 
means  of  a  pile  driver  these  staves  were  driven  about  two  feet 
at  a  time  to  the  depth  of  thirty  feet,  after  which  the  earth  was 
taken  out  from  the  inside.  This  and  other  erections  and  fix¬ 
tures  cost  the  State  over  $30,000. 

Mr.  Henry  Burden,  Superintendent  of  the  Troy  Nail  Fac¬ 
tory,  was  applied  to,  to  visit  the  salt  springs,  in  order  to  de¬ 
vise  plans  for  new  pumps,  and  such  erections  as  might  be 
thought  necessary.  An  expensive  outlay  was  made  for  the 
construction  of  machinery  at  the  Cold  Spring  foundry,  near 
West  Point,  and  extensive  reservoirs  were  erected  for  the 
convenience  of  the  coarse  salt  fields. 

The  number  of  bushels  of  salt  manufactured  and  reported 
for  the  year  1825,  was  768,188.  The  superintendent  received 
a  premium  of  six  cents  per  barrel,  on  all  Onondaga  salt  going 
as  far  east  as  Albany ;  tolls  on  canal  being  fifteen  cents, 
which  gave  the  State  a  nett  profit  of  nine  cents. 

The  Superintendent’s  report,  February,  1826,  says,  “  there 
are  now  on  the  reservation,  150  manufactories  of  fine  salt,  con¬ 
taining  2,275  kettles,  viz.  :  at  Salina,  ninety-seven  blocks,  of 
1,412  kettles  ;  at  Geddes,  twenty  blocks,  of  274  kettles ;  at 
Liverpool,  twenty-three  blocks  containing  311  kettles  ;  and  at 
Syracuse,  seventeen  blocks,  containing  278  kettles  ;  and  there 
are  three  manufactories  of  coarse  salt  by  artificial  heat,  at 
Salina.  The  Syracuse  Company  have  erected  36,416  feet  in 
length  of  vats,  for  solar  evaporation ;  the  Onondaga  Salt  Com¬ 
pany,  35,800  feet;  and  Henry  Gifford,  2,784;  making  in  all, 
74,700  feet  in  length,  by  eighteen  feet  in  width,  exposing  a 
surface  of  1,354,640  superficial  feet.  When  in  a  proper  state 
for  evaporation,  the  vats  contain  at  least  3,000,000  gallons  of 
brine.  There  have  been  inspected  on  the  reservation,  816,000 
bushels.  The  whole  works  now  erected,  are  competent  to 
manufacture  two  million  bushels.”  This  year  a  pump  was 
borrowed  from  the  State  Prison  at  Auburn,  and  set  up  and 
put  in  operation  at  Geddes.  It  proved  unavailable,  and  the 
Messrs.  Townsend,  of  Albany,  furnished  a  new  pump  in  the 
month  of  December.  This  year  a  well  was  sunk  at  Liverpool, 


24 


ONONDAGA. 


■which  promised  a  supply  of  good  strong  brine.  This  well  was 
dug  in  what  Professor  Baton  terms  “saliferous  rock.”  It  is 
the  only  well  dug  on  the  marsh,  which  did  not  require  a  curb. 
A  substantial  double  forcing  pump  was  erected  here  to  raise 
the  water  a  sufficient  height  to  run  to  Liverpool.  The  Super¬ 
intendent  reports  the  works  to  have  been  greatly  improved 
and  enlarged,  some  of  the  blocks  containing  from  sixteen  to 
twenty  kettles  each,  of  the  capacity  of  from  ninety  to  one 
hundred  gallons. 

In  1827,  borings  were  made  at  Geddes,  Salina,  and  one 
mile  north  of  Salina,  where  an  abundance  of  brine  was  found, 
of  a  quality  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  that  of  the  old  well  at 
Salina.  The  office  of  Engineer  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs, 
was  this  year  abolished.  Report  for  Junuary,  1828,  states, 
that  1,103,172  bushels  were  manufactured  and  inspected 
at  the  several  salt  works  on  the  Reservation,  including  the 
month  of  November  of  the  previous  year. 

In  1829,  Superintendent  reports  improvements  in  the  various 
salt  works,  and  the  amount,  inspected,  116,888  bushels  ;  the 
duties  of  engineer  devolving  upon  him.  That  borings  have 
been  extended  to  the  depth  of  from  sixty  to  two  hundred  feet, 
with  a  great  increase  of  quality.  Number  of  blocks,  139; 
number  of  kettles,  3,065.  Principal  part  of  the  salt  made  at 
Syracuse,  is  by  the  Syracuse  and  Onondaga  Salt  Companies, 
by  solar  evaporation. 

In  1830,  the  first  iron  tubes  were  sunk  by  boring,  at  Syra¬ 
cuse.  Tubes  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  in  sections  three  and 
a  half  feet  long,  strongly  clamped  together,  proved  entirely 
successful.  At  a  depth  of  sixty  feet,  a  brine  was  found  of 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  per  cent,  greater  strength,  than 
that  of  the  Salina  well.  Six  perforations  were  made  in  dif¬ 
ferent  directions,  of  the  same  depths,  with  the  like  results. 
The  consequence  was,  that  the  well  at  Green  Point  was  aban¬ 
doned,  the  new  borings  affording  a  far  better  quality. 

During  the  year  1831,  there  was  manufactured  189,000 
bushels  of  coarse  salt;  and,  there  were  also  1,333,024  super¬ 
ficial  feet  of  vats,  135  salt  blocks,  containing  3,076  kettles. 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


25 


The  public  works  for  raising  salt  water  in  1831  were  re¬ 
ported  to  consist  of  seven  erections,  four  of  which  were  car¬ 
ried  by  water  power,  and  three  by  steam. 

The  pumps  most  in  use  were  three,  propelled  by  water 
power,  two  of  which  were  located  at  Salina,  the  other  at  Ged- 
des.  The  two  mill  duty  on  every  bushel  of  salt  made  for  the 
purpose  of  defraying  the  expenses  of  pumping,  &c.,  was 
strongly  urged  to  be  repealed. 

In  1832,  reported  as  manufactured  187,653  bushels  of  coarse 
salt,  and  679,183  bushels  of  fine  salt ;  total,  866,836  ;  and  the 
amount  collected  for  raising  salt  water,  $3,305  97  ;  amount 
expended  during  that  time  for  tending  pumps  and  keeping 
the  same  in  repair,  was  $1,992  51. 

In  1834,  the  sum  expended  on  public  pumps,  during  past 
year,  was  $2,897,27  ;  collected  for  raising  salt  water,  $3,677. 
All  the  manufactories  in  Liverpool,  Salina  and  Geddes,  drew 
their  water  from  the  Salina  spring. 

In  1831,  Mr.  Stephen  Smith,  an  agent  of  the  Onondaga 
Salt  Company,  and  other  persons,  had  bored  to  the  depth  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  feet,  and  obtained  water,  which  the 
proprietors  of  the  spring  claimed  to  be  equal  in  quality  and 
quantity  to  the  best  spring  at  Salina.  They  requested  the  Su¬ 
perintendent  to  take  possession  and  charge  of  it  according  to 
law,  to  which  he  consented,  if  the  manufacturers  there  would 
agree  to  relinquish  the  use  of  the  water  from  the  spring  at 
Salina.  The  Syracuse  and  Onondaga  Salt  Companies  de¬ 
clined  acceding  to  this  proposition.  For  the  purpose  of  test¬ 
ing  the  quality  of  the  waters  at  this  well,  the  Superintendent 
contrated  with  Mr.  Gifford  to  put  in  operation  a  pump  near 
the  spring.  Upon  a  thorough  experiment,  it  was  found  equal 
if  not  superior  to  the  well  at  Salina,  and  was  taken  in  charge 
by  the  Superintendent  for  the  State. 

Whole  amount  of  superficial  feet  of  salt  vats  for  this  year, 
was  1,473,494;  Onondaga  Salt  Company,  618,000;  Syra¬ 
cuse  Company,  668,488;  Gifford’s,  119,808;  Brewster’s  at 
Geddes,  67,198. 

In  1835,  the  best  pump  at  Salina,  was  insufficient  to  afford 


26 


'ONONDAGA. 


water  for  the  works.  In  consequence,  most  of  the  manufacto¬ 
ries  at  Liverpool  were  suspended  for  several  weeks. 

Amount  paid  into  the  treasury  this  year,  $121,856  80. 

Expenses  of  pumping,  &c.,  -  -  6,130  60. 

Collected  for  pumping  by  two  mill  tax,  4,445  77. 

In  1836,  the  Superintendent  reported  297,009  bushels  less 
than  the  previous  year.  The  uncommon  depth  of  snow  broke 
down  the  salt  vat  roofs  ;  consequently  the  best  part  of  the 
season  passed,  before  they  could  be  repaired.  The  deep  snow 
also  prevented  the  banking  of  wood,  and  the  unparalleled 
spring  freshets,  seriously  injured  the  works  on  the  banks  of 
the  lake,  and  greatly  retarded  the  commencement  of  opera¬ 
tions.  A  new  well  was  sunk  at  Liverpool,  and  new  pump 
works  erected,  capable  of  raising  400  gallons  per  minute. 

In  1837,  cost  of  pumps  reported  for  the  year  past,  in¬ 
cluding  pump  houses,  reservoirs,  and  all  other  fixtures,  to¬ 
gether  with  the  expense  of  supplying  the  Liverpool  level  of 
the  Oswego  Canal  with  water  to  propel  machinery,  $5,319  32. 
The  whole  expense  of  the  engineer’s  department  was  $9,660. 
Collected  from  manufacturers,  the  sum  of  $4,322  36  for 
pumping  water  for  their  use,  and  $3,450  for  ordinary  repairs 
of  making  and  tending  the  same.  $6,208  99  was  expended  on 
canals  and  new  structures.  The  report  says  that  the  present 
erections  are  capable,  under  favorable  circumstances,  of  pro¬ 
ducing  4,000,000  of  bushels,  annually.  Amount  paid  into 
the  Treasury,  $115,081  83 ;  amount  collected  for  duties, 
$129,677  26. 

In  1838-39,  was  expended  in  the  engineer’s  department, 
$7,762  02;  paid  by  manufacturers  for  pumping,  $4,849  79; 
building  machinery  for  horse  power,  at  Liverpool,  $500  ;  open¬ 
ing  wells  for  better  supply  of  brine,  $1600  ;  for  instruments 
to  test  the  strength  of  brine  at  different  wells,  $112  94; 
leaving  the  sum  of  $3,643  08  for  ordinary  repairs.  $8000 
was  appropriated  to  enable  the  Superintendent  to  sink  a  shaft 
or  well  six  hundred  feet  deep,  in  the  vicinity  of  some  of  the 
salt  wells  at  Salina,  unless  fossil  salt,  or  a  brine  of  maximum 
strength,  should  be  sooner  found  near  the  present  pump  house. 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


27 


A  well  was  sunk  to  the  depth  of  600  feet,  and  specimens  of 
the  rock  preserved  for  examination.  The  sums  expended, 
amounted  to  about  $4000,  without  any  satisfactory  results. 
Complaint  was  made  of  the  depreciation  of  the  quality  of  the 
brine  at  Geddes,  of  from  three  to  seven  per  cent. 

In  1840,  the  ordinary  expenditures  amounted  to  $7,750, 
part  of  which,  was  appropriated  to  the  erection  of  a  steam  en¬ 
gine,  pump  house  and  fixtures  at  Liverpool,  and  deepening 
and  tubing  the  well  at  Geddes.  A  new  well  at  Syracuse,  was 
sunk  and  tubed,  to  the  depth  of  220  feet.  This  well  has  been 
abandoned.  The  well  at  Geddes  was  deepened  to  200  feet, 
and  a  copper  tube  inserted  to  the  depth  of  80  feet,  without 
improvement  in  the  quality  of  the  brine. 

In  1841,  wooden  tubing  was  substituted  for  iron  and  copper, 
and  reported  as  preferable  to  either,  being  much  cheaper  and 
better  than  iron,  which  on  account  of  its  great  weight,  was 
apt  to  sink  below  the  point  intended.  A  tube  of  iron,  245 
feet  long,  14  inches  diameter  and  eight  inches  bore,  weighed 
18,000  pounds.  There  can  be  no  danger  of  rot  in  wooden 
tubes.  Reservoirs  were  erected  at  an  expense  of  $15,000. 

The  following  table  will  show  the  number  of  bushels  of  salt 

o 


inspected  in  the  town  of  Salina,  from  the  several  reports  of 
superintendents,  being  all  that  have  come  to  our  hand  : 


Salt  inspected  for  the  year  1805, 
«  “  1807, 


154,071  bushels. 
159,563  “ 


“  “  1808, 

“  “  1812, 

“  “  1813, 

“  “  1814, 

“  “  1815, 

“  “  1816, 

“  “  1817, 

Duties,  previous  to  1817,  3  cents  per  bushel,  after  which  the 
duties  were  increased  to  12J  cents  per  bushel.  From  1817 
to  1825,  reports  were  made  to  the  Commissioners  of  the  Canal 
Fund. 

Salt  inspected  for  the  year  1824, 


165,448 

221,011 

223,712 

226,000 

295,215 

322,058 

348,234 


827,162  bushels. 


28 


ONONDAGA. 


Salt  inspected  for  the  year 

1825, 

768,188 

U 

a 

U 

1826, 

827,508 

u 

U 

u 

1827, 

983,410 

u 

U 

u 

1828, 

1,160,888 

u 

u 

u 

1829, 

1,291,280 

u 

u 

u 

1830, 

1,435,446 

u 

u 

u 

1831, 

1,514,037 

u 

u 

u 

1832, 

1,652,985 

u 

u 

u 

1833, 

1,838,646 

u 

Duties  6  cts. 

per  bush,  from 

1834, 

1,943,252 

u 

U 

U 

1835, 

2,209,867 

a 

u 

u 

1836, 

1,912,858 

u 

u 

u 

1837, 

2,161,287 

u 

u 

u 

1838, 

■2,575,033 

u 

u 

u 

1839, 

2,864,718 

u 

u 

u 

1840, 

2,622,305 

u 

u 

u 

1841, 

3,340,769 

cc 

u 

u 

1842, 

2,291,903 

u 

u 

u 

1843, 

3,127,500 

u 

u 

u 

1844, 

4,003,554 

u 

u 

u 

1845, 

3,762,358 

u 

u 

u 

1846, 

3,833,581 

a 

Duties  1  ct. 

per  bush,  from 

1847, 

3,951,351 

u 

U 

U  _ 

1848, 

4,737,126 

u 

The  sever 

al  Superintendents  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs 

and  their  periods  of  office,  are  as  follows,  viz. : 


William  Stevens,  appointed  20th  June, 

1797 

Sheldon  Logan, 

U 

F  ebruary, 

1801 

Asa  Danforth, 

U 

October, 

1801 

William  Kirkpatrick, 

u 

April, 

1806 

Thomas  IT.  Lawson, 

u 

March, 

1808 

Nathan  Stewart, 

u 

June, 

1809 

John  Richardson, 

u 

February, 

1810 

William  Kirkpatrick, 

u 

March, 

1811 

Nehemiali  IT.  Earll, 

u 

February, 

1831 

Rial  Wright, 

u 

1835 

Thomas  Spencer, 

u 

1841 

SALT  SPRINGS 


29 


Rial  Wright, 

appointed 

1843 

Enoch  Marks, 

U 

1845 

Robert  Gere, 

U 

1848 

Deputy  Superintendents  :  Orris  Curtis,  Cyrrel  Hunt,  from 
1797  to  1801  ;  Thomas  Wheeler,  John  Rogers,  1801  to  1806; 
Thomas  Wheeler,  Arick  Southerland,  1806  to  1808 ;  Peter 
Lynes,  1809  ;  none  in  1810  ;  Thomas  Wheeler,  David  Stew¬ 
art,  Michael  Mead,  1811  to  1823.  After  1823,  inspectors 
were  appointed  by  the  Governor  and  Senate,  and  are  as  fol¬ 
lows:  Simeon  Ford,  Engineer  from  1824  to  1826  ;  Inspect¬ 
ors  :  Augustus  Wheaton,  1823  to  1826  ;  John  Maynard,  1827 
to  1828  ;  John  Grinnell,  1829  to  1830  ;  Matthew  Van  Vleclc, 
1831  to  1833  ;  Thomas  Rose,  1834  to  1835  ;  James  M.  Allen, 
1836  to  1840  ;  Henry  W.  Allen,  1841  to  1843  ;  H.  G.  Beach, 
1844  to  1845;  Jesse  McKinley,  1846  to  1847;  after  which 
this  office  was  abolished. 

It  requires  about  thirty  gallons  of  the  brine  now  used,  to 
produce  a  bushel  of  salt ;  it  formerly  required  over  forty. 
One  cord  of  wood  used  as  fuel,  will  produce  forty  bushels  of 
salt.  Thirty  bushels  was  considered  a  good  yield,  with  brine 
formerly  obtained.  We  are  informed  by  the,  present  Super¬ 
intendent,  that  the  present  erections  and  conveniences  pos¬ 
sess  the  capability  of  furnishing  over  6,000,000  of  bushels  an¬ 
nually. 

The  whole  number  of  salt  works  in  operation  at  this  time, 
(1848)  on  the  salt  springs  reservation,  is  170  ;  number  of  men 
engaged  in  boiling,  about  400 ;  in  packing,  200 ;  on  coarse 
salt  fields,  75;  different  offices,  34;  sinking  wells,  &c.,  15; 
getting  out  and  boring  logs,  20  ;  engaged  in  procuring  wood, 
about  900  ;  for  other  purposes,  600  ;  total,  2,414  ;  besides  at 
least  1000  horses.  An  average  of  over  1000  cords  of  wood 
are  daily  consumed  in  the  several  works  when  in  operation. 

There  are  now  in  operation,  about  1,493,000  superficial  feet 
of  vats  for  solar  evaporation.  We  are  informed  by  the  late 
Superintendent,  Thomas  Spencer,  Esq.,  that  the  steam  works 
are  generally  abandoned. 

An  experiment  is  now  (1848)  going  on,  in  the  trial  of  hard 


30 


ONONDAGA. 


coal,  which  is  likely  to  succeed.  It  is  estimated  that  good 
coal  can  he  delivered  at  the  several  works,  at  less  than  five 
dollars  per  ton ;  and  that  a  ton  of  coal,  if  the  experiment 
should  prove  successful,  will  exceed  two  cords  of  wood  as  fuel. 
Wood  being  worth  about  three  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  makes  a 
saving  of  about  two  dollars  for  every  forty  bushels  of  manu¬ 
factured  salt.* 

About  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  are  occupied 
with  vats,  which  produce  annually  about  200,000  bushels  of 
coarse  salt. 

Measures  are  in  prospect  for  enlarging  this  branch  of  busi¬ 
ness,  which  for  want  of  room  cannot  at  present  be  very  much 
extended. 

Originally  the  salt  springs  reservation  comprised  an  exten¬ 
sive  tract  of  land,  exceeding  15,000  acres.  It  was  supposed 
that  this  tract  was  more  than  Avould  ever  be  needed  for  the 
manufacture  of  salt.  Accordingly  an  act  was  passed  March, 
1820,  directing  the  Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  to  cause 
the  reservation  to  be  surveyed  into  lots  and  sold,  providing ' 
that  they  should  reserve  such  lands  as  in  their  opinion  should 
ever  be  necessary  and  useful  for  the  future  extension  of  said 
manufactories.  Pursuant  to  this  law,  two  public  sales  were 
held  of  those  lands,  one  in  the  year  1822,  and  the  other  in 
1827,  at  which  the  entire  reservation  was  disposed  of,  except¬ 
ing  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  Of  r  this  quantity 
remaining,  about  eighty  acres  are  occupied  with  fine  salt  works. 
One  hundred  and  fifty  acres  were  afterwards  set  apart  to 
individuals,  who  have  made  arrangements  to  cover  it  with 
coarse  salt  vats,  so  that  there  is  at  present  only  about  one 
hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  unappropriated  and 
eligible  for  salt  works,  the  remainder  being  too  broken  or 


*  Since  the  above  was  prepared,  Mr.  Spencer  has  erected  a  new  building 
two  hundred  and  fifty-six  feet  long,  forty-four  feet  wide,  with  eighty  kettles  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  gallons  each,  with  express  reference  to  using  coal  instead  of 
wood,  in  manufacturing  salt.  Between  the  chimney  and  kettles  are  placed  three 
large  pans,  twenty  feet  long,  ten  feet  wide,  and  four  feet  deep,  for  the  purpose 
of  precipitating  impurities  before  the  brine  is  admitted  into  the  kettles. 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


31 


swampy  for  manufacturing  purposes.  It  is  to  bo  regretted 
that  the  great  magnitude  of  the  salt  business  could  not  have 
been  foreseen,  as  more  of  public  land' will  soon  become  neces¬ 
sary  for  the  increasing  wants  of  the  public. 

There  are  three  modes  of  manufacturing  salt  practiced  at 
the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs  : 

First,  and  by  far  the  largest  amount,  is  made  by  rapid  boil¬ 
ing  in  kettles.  Second,  by  solar  evaporation  in  wooden  vats. 
Third.  By  evaporation  with  artificial  heat,  (lately  abandoned.) 

By  the  first  process  from  twenty  to  eighty  iron  kettles  are 
set  in  long  arches  in  two  parallel  rows,  firmly  fixed  in  brick 
work,  constituting  what  is  usually  termed  a  “  block.  ”  These 
kettles  are  usually  of  the  capacity  of  about  one  hundred  gal¬ 
lons  each.  Between  the  two  rows  of  kettles  thus  set,  on  top 
of  the  arches  above  the  level  of  the  kettles,  runs  a  long 
wooden  tube,  from  which  is  a  conduit  to  each  separate  kettle. 
This  tube  connects  with  a  reservoir,  with  which  each  manufac¬ 
tory  is  provided,  out  side  the  salt  house.  From  the  reservoir, 
the  kettles  are  filled  with  brine,  which  is  made  to  boil. 

So  soon  as  ebullition  commences,  the  water  changes  color, 
becomes  turbid,  and  the  impurities  begin  to  precipitate.  These 
are  repeatedly  removed  by  large  iron  pans,  covering  the  bot¬ 
tom  of  the  kettles,  called  bittern  ladles ,  with  one  of  which 
each  kettle  is  now  provided.  A  portion  of  these  calcareous 
impurities,  however,  adheres  to  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the 
kettles,  which  soon  forms  a  solid  coating  called  pan  scale ,  and 
at  intervals,  from  six  to  ten  days,  has  to  be  “ pecked  out ,”  for 
if  allowed  to  remain,  it  essentially  impedes  the  boiling  process. 
Very  soon  after  this  calcareous  matter  is  deposited,  crystals 
of  salt  begin  to  shoot  out  and  sink  to  the  bottom,  and  this 
continues  till  a  greater  part  of  the  water  is  evaporated.  The 
salt  is  now  scooped  out  into  baskets,  with  one  of  which  each 
kettle  is  supplied,  where  it  remains  over  the  kettles  to  drain 
off  the  brine  it  contains,  till  quite  dry.  From  the  baskets  it 
is  removed  to  bins,  where,  after  cooling,  it  is  ready  for  the 
hands  of  the  packer.  This  concludes  the  work  of  the  manu¬ 
facturer. 


ONONDAGA. 


The  second  process  is  by  solar  evaporation.  A  series  of 
wooden  vats  are  constructed  about  four  feet  from  the  ground, 
elevated  on  piles.  They  are  about  eighteen  feet  wide,  carri¬ 
ed  to  any  convenient  length,-  and  about  one  foot  in  depth. 
This  first  described  tier  receives  the  brine,  conducted  to  it  by 
wooden  tubes  from  the  great  reservoirs  near  the  wells  ;  here 
it  is  allowed  to  remain  till  the  impurities  have  subsided.  The 
brine  is  then  drawn  off  into  another  tier  of  vats  of  similar 
size  and  construction,  which  are  about  a  foot  or  foot  and  a 
half  lower  than  the  former. 

In  this  second  tier,  the  brine  is  left  to  chrystalize.  The 
whole  process  is  extremely  simple.  By  exposure,  the  water 
evaporates,  and  as  soon  as  saturated,  small  crystals  of  salt 
begin  to  shoot  out  on  the  surface.  Their  first  appearance  is 
not  unlike  a  drop  of  melted  tallow,  let  fall  upon  a  surface  of 
cold  water.  These  particles  accumulate  and  precipitate  them¬ 
selves  to  the  bottom  of  the  vats  in  large  quadrangular  and 
hexangular  crystals,  which  are  the  purest  salt,  and  when  the 
process  is  completed,  is  hard,  dry,  and  of  a  beautiful  white 
color.  From  fissures  in  the  vats  are  formed  stalactites  and 
stalagmites,  of  the  most  perfect  whiteness,  sometimes  several 
inches  in  diameter.  Of  course  the  greatest  quantity  of  this 
salt  can  be  made  in  the  driest  seasons,  and  the  principal  sea¬ 
son  is  from  May  to  September.  The  process  of  evaporation 
is  greatly  retarded  by  a  humid  atmosphere.  To  prevent  em¬ 
barrassment  which  would  ensue  from  rain,  roofs  are  construct¬ 
ed  to  cover  the  vats,  which  may  be  removed  as  occasion  re¬ 
quires.  Consequently  it  requires  a  space  with  frames  to  sup¬ 
port  them,  a  little  more  than  equal  to  the  vats.  Like  all  the 
operations  of  nature,  this  is  perfectly  simple  and  produces  the 
purest  salt,  and  the  nearer  all  artificial  modes  for  the  separa¬ 
tion  of  water  from  salt  can  approximate  to  this,  the  better  ar¬ 
ticle  will  be  manufactured. 

The  third  process,  which  has  been  carried  on  to  some  ex¬ 
tent,  but  which  on  account  of  its  too  great  expense,  has  been 
discontinued,  is  like  this  ;  large  iron  vats  were  employed,  into 
which  brine  was  conducted  and  subjected  to  a  moderate  degree 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


33 


of  heat,  either  applied  directly  to  the  vats  or  by  means  of 
tubes  through  which  steam  was  made  to  pass.  In  this  way  salt 
of  great  purity  can  be  made,  little  if  any  inferior  to  that  ob¬ 
tained  by  solar  evaporation. 

Besides  the  above  named  modes  of  manufacturing  salt,  are 
the  works  for  preparing  and  grinding  table  and  dairy  salt. 
These  are  four  in  number,  carried  on  by  William  A.  Porter, 
Warner  II.  Porter,  and  J.  P.  Haskins,  of  Salina,  and  the 
Hope  Factory  at  Syracuse.  They  are  all  arranged  on  much 
the  same  plan,  and  the  machinery  of  each  is  driven  by  a  steam 
engine.  The  best  of  salt  is  selected  for  grinding,  and  when 
prepared  for  market,  is  thought  by  good  judges  to  be  inferior 
to  none.  The  operation  and  process  of  the  manufacture  of 
ground  salt  is  perfectly  simple,  and  scarcely  needs  illustration. 
The  salt  in  the  first  instance  is  wheeled  on  to  an  elevated 
platform  or  way,  to  a  spacious  hopper,  raised  some  eight  or 
ten  feet  above  the  ground.  From  the  hopper  it  falls  down 
upon  the  “  drier”  or  vat,  about  twenty-five  feet  long  by  eight 
or  ten  feet  broad.  Underneath  the  drier  is  a  flue  leading  from 
the  furnace  by  which  the  boilers  are  heated,  and  here  the  salt 
is  drawn  forward  by  a  11  rake,”  and  thoroughly  dried.  It  is 
then  carried  up  by  elevators  emptying  into  a  hopper,  and 
ground ;  afterwards  it  is  again  carried  by  another  string  of 
elevators  to  a  convenient  bin,  where  two  boys  receive  it  as 
fast  as  it  falls,  and  who  weigh  and  pack  it  in  small  bags  which 
contain  each  twenty  pounds ;  formerly  each  bag  contained 
twenty-eight  pounds.  The  salt  is  now  ready  for  market,  and 
is  inspected  and  carried  to  all  parts  of  the  country,  as  the  de¬ 
mand  requires.  The  ground  salt  is  packed  while  warm,  and 
as  it  runs  from  the  stones  is  lively  like  dry  sand.  If  allowed 
to  become  cold  it  takes  a  much  larger  bag  to  contain  the  same 
quantity  by  weight.  For  the  dairy  and  for  culinary  purpo¬ 
ses,  salt  is  considered  to  be  greatly  improved  by  grinding. 

Lime  is  the  principal  ingredient  made  use  of  in  accelerat¬ 
ing  the  precipitation  of  impurities.  It  is  sometimes  cast  into 
the  kettles,  but  oftener  it  is  sprinkled  in  the  reservoirs  wThere 

n  3 


34 


ONONDAGA. 


it  mixes  with  these  heterogeneous  ingredients,  and  the  impure 
mass  subsides  to  the  bottom. 

There  are  about  twenty-five  miles  of  aqueduct  logs  from  the 
several  wells  and  reservoirs,  for  conveying  brine  to  the  seve¬ 
ral  works  and  vats.  There  are  about  1,600,000  gallons  of 
brine  daily  used  in  the  manufacture  of  salt.  There  are  seven 
wells,  from  one  hundred  and  eighty  to  three  hundred  and  ° 
twenty  feet  deep,  from  which  water  is  drawn  by  as  many 
pumps,  six  of  which  are  driven  by  water  power,  and  one  at 
Liverpool  by  steam,  capable  of  throwing  up  at  least  45,000 
gallons  of  brine  per  hour.* 

The  expense  of  a  salt  block  and  fixtures  entire  for  fifty  ket¬ 
tles  is  about  three  thousand  dollars,  and  the  expense  for  erect¬ 
ing  an  acre  of  vats  is  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 

The  boiling  works  are  carried  on  from  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  days  in  the  year,  though  some 
few  are  conducted  through  the  whole  year. 

The  following  is  from  Dr.  Beck’s  “  Brine  Springs  of  Onon¬ 
daga.”  (N.  Y.  S.  Nat.  His.  Mineralogy,  page  106.) 

“  The  temperature  of  the  brine  at  the  Syracuse  well  as  it 
passes  from  the  tube  into  the  reservoir,  is  51°  F.  It  has  a 
sparkling  appearance  as  it  discharges  itself,  changing  the 
color  of  iron. 

The  specific  gravity  of  brine  taken  from  this  well  is  1.10499, 
at  60°  F.  The  amount  of  dry  solid  matter  in  1,000  grains 
of  the  same  brine,  is  139.53  grains.  The  following  are  the 


results  of  his  analysis: 

Carbonate  of  lime, 

0,14 

Sulphate  of  lime, 

5,69 

Chloride  of  calcium, 

0,83 

Chloride  of  magnesium, 

0,46 

Chloride  of  sodium  or  common  salt, 

132,93 

Oxide  of  iron, 

0,02 

Carbonic  acid,  holding  in  solution  carbonate  of  lime,  0,07 


*  A  new  well  was  sunk  in  1S4S,  at  Liverpool,  which  is  said  to  be  about  three 
per  cent,  stronger  than  any  water  yet  found. 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


35 


Water,  with  a  trace  of  organic  matter  and  bromine,  860,40 
From  another  well  of  stronger  brine,  he  remarks :  “  The 

following  will  express,  with  sufficient  minuteness,  for  all  practi¬ 
cal  purposes,  the  composition  of  this  brine  in  1000  parts,  viz 


173,50 

8,50 

818,00 


Common  salt, 
Various  impurities, 
Water, 


This  will  not  essentially  vary  from  the  brine  now  in  com¬ 
mon  use  throughout  the  reservation. 

The  pumps,  when  in  full  operation,  will  force  up  each  from 
one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  of  brine  per 
minute. 

The  foreign  substances  or  impurities  are  composed  princi¬ 
pally  of  sulphate  of  lime,  slightly  colored  by  oxide  of  iron, 
which  any  one  can  see  in  its  mixed  state  by  visiting  the  coarse 
salt  fields,  where  beautiful  specimens  are  sometimes  found  to 
adorn  the  cabinets  of  the  curious.  These  constitute  also  the 
bitterns  of  the  boilers. 

The  quality  of  brine  is  greatly  increased  by  recent  borings 
so  that  the  constant  supply  is  now  75°  to  80°,  allowing  pure 
water  to  be  0,  and  saturated  brine  100°,  without  apparent 
diminution  from  use. 

The  shores  of  the  Onondaga  Lake,  at  an  early  period  of 
the  settlement  of  the  country,  were  composed  of  soft,  spongy 
bog,  into  which  a  pole  could  be  thrust  to  an  almost  intermina¬ 
ble  depth.  Since  the  clearing  up  of  the  hills  in  the  neigh¬ 
borhood,  sand,  gravel  and  other,  substances,  have  been  wash¬ 
ed  down,  and  by  the  action  of  the  waves,  have  become  so 
solid,  that  loaded  teams  can  now  be  driven  along  the  beach, 
without  making  scarcely  any  indentation,  while  but  forty 
years  ago,  the  same  ground  could  only  be  traversed  by  flat 
bottomed  boats.  There  are  indisputable  evidences  all  along 
the  western  banks,  that  at  some  previous  time,  the  surface  of 
the  lake  must  have  been  some  sixty  or  eighty  feet  higher  than 
it  is  at  present. 

The  marl  in  which  this  lake  is  situated,  is  continually  accu¬ 
mulating.  Myriads  of  shells  of  the  Family,  Limniada:,  Ge- 


36 


ONONDAGA, 


nus,'  Planokbis,  are  yearly  gathered  for  the  construction  of 
ornaments  to  grace  the  boards  of  the  wealthy. 

There  is  a  singularity  about  the  “salt  lake,”  which  has, 
we  believe,  hitherto  been  unnoticed.  The  water  along  the 
shores,  for  the  distance  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  rods  from 
its  margin,  is  very  shallow,  so  that  in  most  places  a  person 
can  wade  in  nearly  the  whole  distance  without  any  considera¬ 
ble  inconvenience,  after  which,  there  is  an  almost  perpendicu¬ 
lar  descent  of  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet ;  then  the  bottom  as¬ 
sumes  a  basin -like  form,  deepening  towards  the  center.  The 
common  depth  is  about  eighty  feet,  but  towards  the  outlet  it 
is  said  to  be  over  two  hundred  feet  deep.  It  is  singular  that 
this  lake,  although  surrounded  almost  entirely  by  salt  springs, 
should  itself  be  perfectly  fresh. 

The  most  prevalent  opinion  is,  that  somewhere  in  the 
vicinity  of  this  lake,  or  perhaps  under  it,  is  a  vast  body  of 
fossil  salt,  from  which  the  brine  springs  proceed.  Some  are 
of  opinion  that  nature  has  some  vast  and  inexhaustable  labora¬ 
tory  constantly  at  work,  sending  forth  this  valuable  mineral, 
for  the  good  of  man.  Others  again,  are  of  opinion,  that 
crystals  are  constantly  forming  in  the  porous  saliferous  rock, 
common  in  this  vicinity ;  and  others  again,  that  salt  may  be 
existing  in  insulated  cavities,  in  the  surrounding  hills,  through 
which  the  fresh  water  percolating,  dissolves  it,  and  at  length 
makes  a  deposit  in  the  great  salt  basin  around  and  beneath 
the  lake.  Some  have  supposed  that  at  some  ancient  period, 
while  the  sea  yet  covered  the  earth,  a  volcanic  eruption  burst 
forth  which  formed  the  chasm  of  the  ancient  Onondaga  val¬ 
ley,  and  by  its  great  heat  evaporated  a  vast  quantity  of  sea¬ 
water,  by  which  large  bodies  of  fossil  salt  were  deposited 
leaving  the  fixed  and  solid  materials  in  accumulated  heaps,  which 
have  ever  since  been  wasting  away,  and  are  now  continually 
supplying  our  country  with  salt.  We  are  inclined  to  no  particu¬ 
lar  theory.  Whether  the  heat  of  a  volcano  has  volatilized 
and  dissipated  a  large  body  of  salt  water,  and  left  mountains 
or  smaller  insulated  bodies  of  fossil  salt;  or  whether  some  still 
undiscovered  chemistry  of  nature,  is  at  work  elaborating  salt 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


37 


from  the  various  substances  in  the  earth ;  or  whether  some 
subterranean  passage  connects  with  the  ocean,  is  not  for  us  to 
inquire.  It  is  enough  that  it  is  here,  and  that  for  untold  ages 
it  has  probably  impregnated  the  copious  streams  which  flow 
through  the  Onondaga  valley,  and  our  only  fear  is,  that  it  will 
not  always  be  proof  against  the  wastes,  depredations  and 
ravages  of  time,  and  its  quality  and  quantity  remain  forever 
undiminished.  Mr.  Yanuxem,  (Nat.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  Geology,  3d 
District,  page  241,)  says  of  the  Onondaga  Lake — “It  is  the 
remains  of  an  ancient  and  deep  excavation  in  the  Onondaga 
salt  group,  of  which  Onondaga  valley  forms  the  southern  part ; 
all  of  which  has  been  filled  up  with  sand,  gravel,  etc.,  except  the 
part  occupied  by  the  lake.  The  bottom  of  the  lake,  and  its 
sides,  are  covered  with  lake  maid,  showing  a  thickness  of  more 
than  six  feet,  the  marl  of  the  lake  insulating  the  salt  water 
of  the  reservoir  from  the  fresh  water  of  the  lake.  The 
greater  part  of  the  surface  portion  of  the  lake  is  excavated 
in  the  red  shale,  the  lower  part  of  the  whole  of  it,  extending 
into  its  mass.” 

The  primary  formation  of  the  Onondaga  valley,  as  compa¬ 
red  with  its  present  surface,  is  of  vast  importance.  The  bot¬ 
tom  of  this  ancient  valley  is  composed  of  red  sandstone,  which 
11  crops  out  ”  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Ontario.  Over  this  is  a 
tenacious  clay  or  hard-pan,  which  retains  the  salt  water.  Above 
this,  are  the  several  strata  of  alluvion  composed  of  gravel,  sand, 
chocolate  colored  clay,  marl  and  black  swamp  muck ;  and  it 
is  not  till  the  lowest  stratum  is  perforated  that  the  salt  water 
is  found  in  its  greatest  purity  and  strength,  running  in  sub¬ 
terranean  rills,  sometimes  forcing  itself  to  the  surface  of  the 
marsh  by  numerous  orifices.  The  purest  brine  is  found  in  the 
deepest  borings,  for  the  reason  that  the  particles  held  in  solu¬ 
tion  are  of  greater  specific  gravity.  The  rocks  composing  the 
several  strata  of  this  region  all  have  a  southern  “dip”  and 
will  be  best  illustrated  by  the  accompanying  diagrams,  which 
give  a  perceptive  view  of  the  Onondaga  salt  basin  and  the 
Onondaga  Lake. 


38 


ONONDAGA. 


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SALT  SPRINGS. 


39 


TRANSVERSE  SECTION  OF  THE  ANCIENT  ONONDAGA  VALLEY 
AND  THE  PRESENT  LAKE.  ALSO,  THE  DIFFERENT  STRATA  OF  , 
ALLUVION,  AS  EXHIBITED  BY  BORING  A  WELL  AT  SYRACUSE. 


1.  Black  muck,  five  feet.  2.  Marl,  five  feet.  3.  Blue  clay,  five  feet.  4.  Fine 
sand,  three  feet.  5.  Gravel,  alternating;  from  coarse  to  fine,  one  hundred  and 
forty  feet.  6.  Dark  brown  sand,  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  feet.  7.  Gravel,  com¬ 
pact  and  cemented,  twenty  feet.  8.  Hard-pan,  the  primary  formation  or  bottom 
of  the  valley.  A,  A,  A.  Sides  and  bottom  of  ancient  valley  excavated  in  red 
shale.  B,  B.  Alluvion  filling  up  the  valley.  C.  Lake  marl,  isolating  the  salt  wa¬ 
ter  from  the  fresh.  D.  Onondaga  Lake.  E.  Surface  of  the  lake. 

In  this  vast  basin,  without  an  outlet,  lies  our  immense  brine 
reservoir;  a  wonder  to  the  world,  an  unbounded  source  of 
wealth  to  the  State,  and  of  utility  to  its  inhabitants. 

Dr.  William  Kirkpatrick,  who  held  the  office  of  Superin¬ 
tendent  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs,  twenty-two  years,  twen¬ 
ty  of  which  were  consecutive,  and  wdio  was  noted  for  his  vigilance 
as  a  public  officer,  and  for  his  honesty,  capability,  and  punctu¬ 
ality  as  a  business  man,  deserves  in  connection  with  this  me¬ 
moir,  a  passing  notice.  William  Kirkpatrick,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Amwell,  Huntingdon  County,  New- Jersey,  in 
November,  1768.  He  was  a  son  of  the  Rev.  William  Kirk¬ 
patrick,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  who  died  soon  after  the  birth 
of  his  son.  The  son  was  a  graduate  of  Princeton  College, 
New- Jersey, and  studied  medicine .  with  Dr.  Rush,  of  Phila¬ 
delphia.  He  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Whites- 
towm,  1795,  and  continued  there  about  ten  years.  In  1806,  he 
came  to  Salina  as  Superintendent  of  the  Salt  Springs. 

Although  it  was  generally  understood  when  Dr.  Kirkpatrick 
commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  the  county  of  Oneida, 


40 


ONONDAGA. 


that  his  professional  education  was  of  the  highest  order,  and 
that  nothing  stood  in  the  way  of  his  attaining  a  commanding 
position  as  one  of  the  most  scientific  and  skilful  physicians  of 
the  ase  in  which  he  lived,  if  he  had  devoted  himself  to  the 
practice,  with  that  assiduity  and  enthusiasm,  which  are  so  es¬ 
sential  to  success  in  any  of  the  learned  professions;  yet,  it 
was  unfortunately  true,  that  his  nervous  temperament  was  of 
such  a  peculiar  and  sensitive  character,  as  to  unfit  him  in  a 
great  degree,  for  the  practical  duties  of  a  physician.  Al¬ 
though  he  had  pursued  the  study  of  medicine  with  great  dili¬ 
gence  and  effect,  and  had  attained  in  the  closet,  all  the  know¬ 
ledge  which  could  very  well  be  acquired  by  reading  and 
thought ;  yet,  when  he  was  called  upon,  standing  by  the  sick 
bed,  to  apply  his  skill  and  learning  to  cases  of  actual  suffering 
and  disease,  he  soon  discovered  that  his  feelings  of  sympathy 
for  the  afflicted  patient  were  so  acute,  as  in  many  cases  to 
materially  affect  that  self  posstession  and  calm  observation  of 
the  symptoms  so  vitally  essential  in  determining,  as  well  the 
true  nature  of  the  disease  itself,  as  the  mode  to  he  adopted 
for  its  cure  or  alleviation.  The  effect  of  this  peculiarity  of 
temperament  was,  (as  might  be  expected)  to  cause  in  the  mind 
of  Dr.  Kirkpatrick,  at  an  early  period  of  his  medical  practice, 
a  dislike  of  the  profession,  which  not  only  continued  through 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  but  after  a  few  years,  led  to  its  total 
abandonment  as  a  means  of  living. 

The  society  at  Utica  and  Whitesboro  during  the  period  in 
which  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  resided  there,  although  small,  was  in 
many  instances,  of  a  refined,  intellectual  and  literary  charac¬ 
ter  ;  and  he  was  never  more  happy  than  in  those  days,  when 
in  the  company  of  his  intelligent  friends  and  neighbors,  he  had 
an  opportunity  to  converse  on  the  literary  topics  of  the  day, 
and  to  impart  and  receive  that  intellectual  instruction,  in  which 
he  so  greatly  delighted.  Although  he  still'  continued  to  prac¬ 
tice  as  a  physician,  yet  he  rather  declined  than  sought  an 
increase  of  business,  and  gradually  withdrew"  from  the  active 
duties  of  his  profession,  except  in  cases  of  a  few  private  friends 
and  families,  who  would  not  consent  to  surrender  their  claims 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


41 


upon  his  skill,  as  occasion  required,  and  for  whom  he  con¬ 
tinued  to  prescribe  so  long  as  he  remained  in  that  county. 

Dr.  Kirkpatrick  commenced  life,  and  continued  until  his 
death,  a  Republican,  (or  as  it  is  now  termed,  a  Democrat,)  in 
politics.  As  he  posessed  a  very  active  mind  and  ardent  tem¬ 
perament,  he  soon  embarked  in  the  political  controversies  of 
the  day,  and  ever  afterwards  took  a  deep  interest  in  such 
matters.  Whilst  living  in  Oneida  County  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  tenth  Congress,  (1808  and  1809,)  for  the 
eleventh  district. 

Although  he  made  no  pretensions  to  parliamentary  speak¬ 
ing,  and  did  not  therefore  assume  a  prominent  position  before 
the  public,  yet  he  was  greatly  respected  at  Washington,  as  an  in¬ 
telligent,  educated  and  high-minded  man,  and  during  that  period 
formed  an  intimate  acquaintance  and  friendship  with  many  of 
the  most  distinguished  men  of  the  day,  who  then  occupied 
places  in  the  National  Councils,  and  with  some  of  whom  tie 
continued  to  correspond  for  many  years  afterwards.  As  an 
illustration  of  this,  a  little  reminiscence  may  be  given.  When 
in  Congress,  Dr.  Kirkpatrick  became  the  intimate  personal 
and  political  friend  of  Wm.  H.  Crawford,  of  Georgia,  then  a 
Senator  from  that  State,  and  afterwards  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  under  Mr.  Monroe,  and  a  prominent  candidate  for 
the  Presidency  in  1824.  Whilst  Mr.  Crawford  was  Secretary, 
an  application  was  made  by  many  of  the  prominent  citizens 
of  this  State,  for  the  establishment  of  a  branch  of  the  Uni¬ 
ted  States  Bank  at  Albany,  and  among  other  names  appear¬ 
ing  on  the  application,  was  that  of  Dr.  Kirkpatrick.  This 
paper  was  transmitted  in  the  first  instance  to  the  Secretai-y  of 
the  Treasury,  with  a  request  that  he  should  send  it  forward 
to  the  directors  of  the  parent  bank  at  Philadelphia.  Mr. 
Crawford,  in  doing  so,  wrote  upon  the  application,  in  substance 
as  follows  :  “  Among  the  many  names  to  this  application,  I 

find  that  of  Dr.  Wm.  Kirkpatrick.  I  can  say  with  great 
pleasure,  that  I  know  him  well,  and  a  more  honorable,  high- 
minded  and  intelligent  gentleman  I  am  not  acquainted  with.” 

He  closed  his  Congressional  term  in  1809,  and  was  reap- 


42 


O  NO  N  D  A  G  A . 


pointed  Superintendent  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs,  1811, 
and  held  his  office  till  1831.  Upon  his  reappointment,  he 
removed  to  Salina,  where  he  continued  to  reside,  until  his 
death,  in  1832. 

The  few  adventurers,  who  up  to  this  period  had  dared  the 
inhalation  of  the  pestilential  miasma  of  the  marsh,  and  were 
willing  to  wade  through  its  mud  and  water,  in  attempting  to 
earn  a  scanty  pittance  for  themselves  and  families,  had  usu¬ 
ally  but  little  pretension  to  that  intelligence  or  refinement  of 
intellect  and  manners  which  so  peculiarly  distinguished  the 
individual  who  had  been  chosen  to  protect  the  public  interest 
and  collect  the  revenue  to  he  derived  from  this  invaluable 
fountain,  which  in  its  subsequent  and  still  extending  develope- 
ments,  has  already  caused  the  building  up  of  a  wealthy  and 
populous  town. 

As  it  respects  Dr.  Kirkpatrick,  it  might  well  be  supposed 
that  the  singular  and  strongly  marked  transition  which  had 
occurred  in  his  life,  from  the  polished  and  intellectual  society 
in  which  he  had  previously  moved,  to  the  cheerless  and  almost 
semi-barbarous  condition  of  things  then  existing  at  Salina, 
would  have  had  the  effect  of  producing  disgust  and  despon¬ 
dency  on  his  part.  But  this  was  not  so — he  entered  upon  the 
discharge  of  his  new  duties  with  alacrity  of  spirits  and  kind 
feelings.  He  lost  no  time  in  making  himself  acquainted,  not 
only  with  the  present  state  of  the  manufacturing  operations, 
but  also  with  the  persons  employed  in  the  business,  and  he 
took  early  measures  to  increase  the  State  revenue,  by  judi¬ 
cious  improvements,  whilst  he  was  disposed  in  every  way  in 
his  power  to  aid  the  worthy  and  industrious  manufacturers. 

During  the  whole  life  of  Dr.  Kirkpatrick,  after  his  remo¬ 
val  to  Salina,  he  continued  to  cultivate  his  literary  taste,  by 
an  intimate  reading  of  all  the  standard  works  of  the  day,  and 
particularly  of  the  English  and  Scotch  Reviews,  for  the  great¬ 
er  part  of  which  he  was  a  regular  subscriber;  indeed,  to 
works  of  this  character,  he  devoted  a  large  portion  of  his 
leisure  time.  He  was  of  a  joyous  and  pleasant  temperament, 
and  delighted  to  sit  down  with  friends  of  his  own  habits  of 


SALT  SPRINGS. 


43 


thought  and  reading,  and  converse  upon  the  current  topics  of 
the  day.  He  continued  also  through  his  life,  to  be  an  ardent 
politician  of  unswerving  fidelity  to  party  obligations,  and  de¬ 
nounced  the  least  violation  of  party  faith,  as  a  crime  of  al¬ 
most  unpardonable  magnitude.  He  was  in  mind,  thought  and 
feelings,  a  gentleman.  In  his  manner,  he  had  an  easy,  digni¬ 
fied  and  graceful  address,  by  which  the  most  casual  observer 
would  have  distinguished  him  in  a  crowd,  as  a  man  who,  from 
habits  and  association,  had  always  moved  in  refined  society ; 
and  still,  he  was  free  from  haughtiness  or  pride,  and  as  ac¬ 
cessible  at  all  times  to  the  most  humble  laborer,  as  to  the 
highest  dignitary  of  the  land. 

As  one  of  the  remarkable  traits  in  the  character  of  Hr. 
Kirkpatrick,  it  may  be  added,  that  with  the  renowned  Dr. 
Johnson,  he  had  a  morbid  and  awful  horror  of  death.  He 
has  frequently  remarked  to  the  writer  of  this  brief  sketch, 
that  the  thought  of  dying  and  of  death — of  passing  from  this 
sublunary  state  to  the  mysterious  world  beyond  the  grave — of 
the  body  instinct  with  with  warmth  and  life — and  all  its  compli¬ 
cated  and  beautiful  machinery  becoming  cold  and  inanimate, 
— placed  in  the  earth  as  food  for  worms, — 

“  To  lie  in  cold  obstruction  and  to  rot,” — 

filled  his  soul  with  dismay  and  terror. 

In  the  summer  of  1832,  and  with  but  very  few  hours  of 
premonition,  the  dread  king  of  terrors,  by  his  most  terrible 
vicegerent,  the  cholera,  approached  his  bed-side,  and  beckoned 
him  away.  He  looked  upon  the  face  of  the  pale  spectre  with 
composure  and  apparent  fearlessness,  and  seemed  to  have 
summoned  in  the  last  hour,  a  fortitude  of  mind  which  he  did 
not  before  know  he  possessed.  When  he  became  assured  of 
the  presence  of  the  pestilence  in  his  own  person,  and  that  he 
could  not  live  but  a  few  hours,  he  summoned  his  beloved  wife 
to  his  bed-side,  and  with  the  composure  of  one  about  to  enjoy 
a  peaceful  sleep  for  a  time,  or  take  a  short  journey,  gave  her 
a  brief  history  of  a  few  matters  of  business  resting  in  personal 
recollection,  and  a  few  words  of  affectionate  condolence,  and 
then  resigned  himself  to  his  fate  with  apparent  submission. 


44 


ONONDAGA. 


He  died  on  the  2d  day  of  September,  1832,  in  the  65tli  year 
of  his  age,  and  was  buried  at  Salina.  He  left  twin  sons,  Wil¬ 
liam  and  Donald,  now  (1849)  nineteen  years  of  age,  who  re¬ 
side  with  their  mother,  in  Cato,  Cayuga  County. 

Such  is  a  very  brief  and  imperfect  notice  of  a  good  and 
worthy  man.  He  had  no  enemies ;  it  is  impossible  he  should 
have  had  any ;  for,  he  never  entertained  an  unkind  wish  in 
respect  to  any  human  being.* 


*  For  the  above  sketch,  the  author  is  obliged  to  J.  G.  Forbes,  Esq.,  an  intimate 
friend  of  Dr  Kirkpatrick. 


ERIE  CANAL— JAMES  GEDDES. 


45 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


ERIE  CANAL— JAMES  GEDDES. 


Biographical  Sketch  of  the  Hon.  James  Geddes— Erie  Canal — Hydraulic 

Cement.  ' 

James  Geddes  was  born  on  the  22d  day  of  July,  1763,  near 
Carlisle,  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  His  father  and  mother 
were  both  descended  from  Scotch  families,  and  the  first  ac¬ 
cents  of  his  infant  lips  were  uttered  in  broad  Scotch. 

His  father  was  a  farmer  in  very  respectable  circumstances, 
and  gave  his  children  all  the  advantages  of  education  that  the 
country  then  afforded ;  and  evei’y  means  at  the  command  of 
the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was  made  the  most  of,  in  storing 
his  mind  with  useful  knowledge. 

While  a  youth,  following  the  plow,  he  carried  in  his  pocket 
a  book  ;  and  when  his  team  stopped  to  rest,  he  perused  its 
contents.  In  after  life  he  frequently  observed,  that  this  read¬ 
ing  in  the  field  was  of  great  advantage  to  him,  as  he  had  full 
time  to  digest  all  that  he  read  while  holding  the  plow,  and 
later  in  life  could  draw  from  these  stores  treasured  up  in  his 
juvenile  years,  with  pleasure  and  profit.  He  studied  mathe¬ 
matics  under  the  charge  of  a  Mr.  Oliver,  who  was  a  thor¬ 
oughly  educated  man. 

Languages  he  studied  without  masters,  and  he  became  a 
belles  letter  scholar  of  the  first  order.  In  fact  few  men  ever 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  English  language  that  equalled  his. 

At  an  early  age  he  visited  the  State  of  Kentucky.  It  was 


46 


ONONDAGA. 


then  necessary  to  cross  the  Alleghany  Mountains  in  large 
companies,  for  protection  against  the  Indians ;  and  unburied 
human  bones  were  seen  at  various  places  along  the  path  they 
followed. 

In  Kentucky,  slavery  had  already  established  itself ;  and 
having  an  insuperable  repugnance  to  that  institution,  he  de¬ 
termined  not  to  locate  himself  where  it  appeared  that  this  evil 
was  long  to  exist.  From  the  time  of  arriving  at  his  majority 
until  the  age  of  thirty,  he  employed  himself  in  teaching  school, 
traveling,  and  improving  his  mind. 

In  the  year  1793,  the  fame  of  the  salt  springs  induced  him 
to  visit  the  county  of  Onondaga,  (then  Herkimer.)  So  well 
was  lie  pleased  with  the  prospects  this  region  offered,  that  he 
returned  home  and  organized  a  company  for  the  manufacture 
of  salt ;  and  the  next  year,  1794,  came  by  the  way  of  Seneca 
Lake,  with  the  necessary  kettles,  and  early  in  the  spring  com¬ 
menced  the  manufacture  of  salt,  at  the  place  now  known  as 
the  village  of  Geddes.  He  lived  there  four  years.  In  1798 
he  moved  to  lands  he  had  purchased  of  the  State,  in  the  pre¬ 
sent  town  of  Camillus,  where  he  lived  the  residue  of  his  life. 

In  May,  1799,  he  married  Miss  Lucy  Jerome,  daughter  of 
Timothy  Jerome,  Esq.,  of  the  town  of  Fabius,  who  survives 
him. 

Soon  after  becoming  a  citizen  of  this  county,  the  public  de¬ 
manded  his  services,  and  he  filled  most  if  not  all  of  the  im¬ 
portant  stations  in  his  town  at  various  times.  He  was  ap¬ 
pointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1800,  by  the  Council  of  Ap¬ 
pointment  In  1804  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legis¬ 
lature. 

Soon  after  his  coming  into  this  country,  he  was  employed 
by  the  Surveyor  General,  as  one  of  his  assistants,  and  he  de¬ 
voted  himself  to  the  profession  of  surveying  and  engineering, 
until  age  disqualified  him  from  the  fatigue  of  out-door  labors. 
His  maps,  plots  and  field  books,  deposited  in  the  Surveyor  Gen¬ 
eral’s  Office,  show  him  to  be  a  man  of  great  accuracy,  and  his 
accompanying  remarks,  the  sagacity  and  penetration  of  his 
mind. 


ERIE  CANAL— JAMES  GEDDES. 


47 


It  was  as  an  engineer  that  lie  became  most  known  to  the 
public,  and  it  was  as  such  that  he  did  the  State  most  service. 

The  project  of  connecting  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  with  the 
Hudson  River,  became  an  important  one.  Mr.  Weston,  a  cel¬ 
ebrated  engineer  from  England,  had  examined  the  Oswego 
River,  and  other  water  courses,  with  a  view  to  improving  their 
navigation ;  and  among  men  of  enlarged  views  the  scheme  be¬ 
came  an  engrossing  topic.  Mr.  Geddes,  at  an  early  period, 
enlisted  in  the  matter,  and  commenced  with  ardor  the  gather¬ 
ing  of  facts.  In  1804,  the  Surveyor  General  said  to  him, 
that  Gouverneur  Morris  had  mentioned  to  him  the  project  of 
“  tapping  Lake  Erie.”  The  Surveyor  General  considered 
this  “a  romantic  thing,”*  but  not  so  the  man  to  whom  he  com¬ 
municated  the  crude,  undigested  thought.  He  knew  that  Mr. 
Weston  had  reported  the  Oswego  River,  from  the  falls  to  Lake 
Ontario,  as  “  hardly  susceptible  of  improvement,  by  means  of 
canaling,”  and  if  there  was  a  way  that  the  waters  of  the  up¬ 
per  lakes  could  be  led  across  the  country  without  going  down 
to  the  level  of  Ontario,  and  then  rising  to  the  summit  again 
at  Rome,  that  vast  results  must  grow  from  it,  and  at  once  his 
untiring  industry  and  energy  was  put  in  requisition. 

Maps  were  examined,  surveyors  were  enquired  of,  and  every 
means  within  his  reach  resorted  to,  to  ascertain  the  topography 
of  the  country  through  which,  since  has  been  constructed  the 
Erie  Canal. 

In  1807,  Judge  Joshua  Forman  was  elected  to  the  Legis¬ 
lature  from  this  county,  upon  the  express  understanding  that 
he  would  try  to  procure  the  appropriation  of  money  to  make 
examinations  of  the  country.  No  man  could  have  been  better 
qualified  than  was  Judge  Forman  to  succeed.  A  man  of  elo¬ 
quence,  ardent,  and  peculiarly  calculated  to  make  men  think 
as  he  himself  thought  upon  any  subject,  he  did  succeed,  and 
as  was  understood,  the  Surveyor  General,  who  had  the  selec¬ 
tion  of  the  man  to  make  the  surveys,  (if  he  did  not  himself 
do  it,)  appointed  Mr.  Geddes.  He  “  entered  with  enthusiasm 


*  See  Canal  Laws,  vol.  1,  page  39. 


48 


ONONDAGA. 


upon  the  task  assigned  him  bj  the  Surveyor  General,”  and 
made  surveys,  not  only  of  the  Oneida  and  Oswego  Rivers,  and 
around  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  but  he  reported  a  route,  which 
was,  in  the  language  of  the  Surveyor  General,  in  his  letter  to 
Mr.  Darley,  of  February  25th,  1822,  “  almost  precisely  in  the 
line,  which,  after  repeated,  elaborate  and  expensive  examina¬ 
tions,  has  been  finally  adopted.” 

To  quote  further  from  Mr.  I)e  Witt’s  letter,  “  the  favorable 
light  in  which  the  report  of  this  year’s  work  presented  the 
projected  enterprise,  after  encountering  prejudices  from  differ¬ 
ent  sources,  and  oppositions  made  for  various  reasons,  induced 
the  Legislature,  in  1810,  to  organize  a  board  of  commission¬ 
ers,  with  powers  and  means  to  prosecute  the  business.” 

This  survey  furnished  the  necessary  information  to  justify 
prudent  men  to  commit  themselves  in  favor  of  a  canal ;  and 
Mr.  Clinton,  grasping  with  his  powerful  intellect  at  once  the 
vast  advantages  of  the  scheme,  embarked  in  it  with  uncom¬ 
promising  zeal,  and  by  his  elevated  position  in  the  State,  was 
enabled  to  render  such  assistance  as  ensured  success. 

After  the  war  with  England  was  ended,  the  Canal  Com¬ 
missioners  sent  to  that  country  to  secure  the  services  of  Mr. 
Weston,  or  some  other  engineer  of  reputation,  to  take  charge 
of  and  lay  out  the  canals,  but  they  failed  entirely,  and  it  be¬ 
came  necessary  to  rely  upon  their  own  inexperienced  coun¬ 
trymen.  In  1816,  they  appointed  five  principal  engineers, 
placing  Mr.  Geddes  at  the  head  of  the  list,  who  throughout 
the  progress  of  the  work,  maintained  a  high  standing  as  a 
civil  engineer,  and  whose  labors  and  opinions  were  most  fa¬ 
vorably  estimated  by  the  Canal  Commissioners,  as  their  reports 
in  various  instances  will  show. 

In  1822,  the  State  authorities  of  Ohio  applied  to  Governor 
Clinton  to  select  a  proper  person  to  make  the  necessary  ex¬ 
plorations  for  their  canal  from  the  Ohio  River  to  Lake  Erie ; 
and  he,  in  the  most  flattering  manner,  recommended  Mr. 
Geddes  as  the  most  competent  man  in  the  service  of  the  State. 
Mr.  Geddes  accepted  proposals  from  Ohio,  and  assumed  the 
responsibility  of  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Ohio  Canal.  This 


ERIE  CANA L — J AMES  GEDDES. 


49 


duty  he  discharged  to  the  perfect  satisfaction  of  the  authori¬ 
ties  of  the  State  of  Ohio. 

In  1827,  Mr.  Geddes  was  employed  by  the  general  govern¬ 
ment,  (associated  with  Mr.  Roberts,)  in  the  location  of  the 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal.  In  1828,  he  was  engaged  in  lo¬ 
cating  the  Pennsylvania  Canals,  and  in  the  same  year  he  was 
appointed  by  the  general  government,  to  examine  the  coun¬ 
try  in  reference  to  the  connection  of  the  waters  of  the  Ten¬ 
nessee  and  Altamaha  Rivers,  in  the  States  of  Tennessee,  Ala¬ 
bama  and  Georgia.  This  appointment  he  declined,  on  account 
of  distance  from  home,  and  his  advanced  age. 

In  1809,  Mr.  Geddes  was  appointed  an  associate  Justice, 
and  in  1812,  a  Judge  of  Onondaga  County  Common  Pleas. 
In  1813,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  13th  Congress,  and 
in  1821  he  was  again  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of 
this  State.  He  was  elected  to  Congress  by  the  Federal  party, 
but  belonged  to  that  branch  of  the  party  who  favored  the 
vigorous  prosecution  of  the  then  existing  war,  and  it  is  pro¬ 
per  to  say,  that  he  voted  for  every  appropriation  that  was 
made  during  his  term,  for  carrying  on  the  war  with  vigor. 

The  infirmities  of  age  crept  upon  him  apace,  and  during 
the  last  year  of  his  life,  his  constitution  gave  way  rapidly, 
and  he  closed  his  earthly  career  at  his  residence,  in  the  town 
of  Camillus,  on  the  19th  of  August,  1838,  being  a  little  more 
than  seventy-five  years  of  age.  He  was  the  father  of  seven 
children,  only  one  of  them  surviving  him — all  the  rest  having 
died  without  issue.  The  Hon.  George  Geddes,  of  Fairmount, 
now  a  member  of  the  Senate  of  this  State,  is  the  survivor. 

Perhaps  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  man  who  had  been  as  much 
in  public  service,  and  who  had  come  in  contact  with  so  great 
and  conflicting  interests,  represented  by  men  so  different  in 
capacity  and  character,  ever  died,  leaving  fewer  enemies. 
His  reputation  for  integrity,  probably  was  never  questioned, 
even  by  those  whose  opinions  differed  from  his  own.  To  be 
just  in  all  his  ways,  was  apparently  a  part  of  his  nature,  and 
the  least  lack  of  moral  integrity,  once  detected  by  him  in  a 
man,  destroyed  his  confidence  in  that  man  forever.  It  was 

b  4 


50 


ONONDAGA. 


liis  good  fortune  to  live  to  great  age,  and  enjoy  almost  unin¬ 
terrupted  good  health.  All  his  time  was  most  dilligently  im¬ 
proved  ;  and  such  was  the  extent  of  his  knowledge,  that  he 
was  greatest  in  the  estimation  of  those  who  saw  him  most,  and 
who  had  the  best  means  of  observing  him  critically.  Integ¬ 
rity,  industry,  perseverance  and  sound  judgment,  were  pro¬ 
minent  traits  of  his  character. 

Although  a  self  educated  man,  relying  entirely  on  his  own 
resources,  without  the  aid  of  artificial  helps,  he  became  emi¬ 
nent  in  the  profession  of  his  adoption,  and  by  his  talents  and 
zeal  for  the  public  welfare,  secured  for  himself  a  reputation 
that  might  well  be  envied. 

He  early  stood  forth  among  the  hardy  and  honorable  pio¬ 
neers  of  our  county,  as  one  of  the  main  pillars  of  its  sup¬ 
port,  and  by  his  acts  has  largely  contributed  to  its  advance¬ 
ment  and  prosperity. 

His  name  will  ever  be  associated  with  the  noblest  works 
of  the  age,  and  his  fame  will  descend  with  admiration  to  those 
who  shall  succeed. 

Ebie  Canal. — The  subject  of  connecting  the  navigable 
waters  of  Lake  Erie  with  the  Hudson  River,  by  improving  the 
inland  navigation  of  the  State  of  New- York,  and  of  the  fea¬ 
sibility  of  a  chain  of  water  communication  from  the  western 
to  the  eastern  portion  of  the  State,  was  discussed  in  private 
circles  at  a  period  prior  to  the  American  Revolution ;  and 
during  that  time,  the  measure  was  considered  of  vast  import¬ 
ance  to  the  country,  by  those  who  foresaw  her  future  great¬ 
ness.  General  Washington  alludes  to  this  subject  in  his  official 
letters,  and  again  in  a  letter  to  the  Marquis  of  Chestallux,  in 
1784,  says  :  “  I  have  lately  made  a  tour  through  the  Lakes 

George  and  Champlain  as  far  as  Crown  Point,  thence  returning 
to  Schenectady,  thence  up  the  Mohawk  to  Fort  Schuyler, 
crossed  over  to  Wood  Creek  which  empties  into  Oneida  Lake, 
and  afterwards  communicates  with  Lake  Ontario  ;  I  then 
traversed  the  country  to  the  head  of  the  east  branch  of  the 
Susquehanna  and  viewed  the  Lake  Otsego  and  the  portage 


i 


ERIE  CANAL. 


51 


between  that  lake  and  Canajoharie.  I  was  struck  with  the 
vast  inland  navigation  we  possess — would  to  God  we  may  have 
wisdom  to  improve  those  benefits  with  which  Providence  has 
so  kindly  favored  us.”  It  was  a  matter  that  began  seriously 
to  attract  and  engross  the  attention  of  sagacious,  enlarged 
and  liberal  minds  during  the  years  from  1784  to  1800. 
Christopher  Colles,  a  native  of  Ireland  in  moderate  circum¬ 
stances,  who  settled  in  New-York  before  the  revolution,  was 
probably  the  first  man  who  started  suggestions  with  respect  to 
canals  and  inland  improvements  in  Western  New-York.  De 
Witt  Clinton  himself  declares  this  fact,  saying  :  “  He  was 

an  ingenious  mathematician  and  mechanician.  His  memorials 
to  the  Legislature  were  presented  in  1784,  ’85,  and  met  with 
a  favorable  report,  although  some  thought  his  scheme  visiona¬ 
ry.  The  Legislature  appropriated  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars  to  enable  him  to  prosecute  his  examination  of  the 
Mohawk  river.”  He  again  appeared  before  the  Legislature  and 
the  public  with  a  proposition  to  form  an  association  to  im¬ 
prove  the  inland  navigation  between  Oswego  and  Albany. 
Although  these  propositions  were  sensible  and  well  founded, 
yet  no  public  action  crowned  his  efforts.  He  published  a 
pamphlet  in  1785,  entitled  “  proposals  for  the  speedy  settle¬ 
ment  of  the  frontier  of  Western  New-York,  by  which  the 
internal  trade,  will  be  increased ;  the  country  will  be  settled 
and  the  frontier  secured.”  As  an  earnest  of  what  was  con¬ 
templated,  the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New-York  passed 
an  act,  March  24th,  1791,  directing  the  commissioners  of  the 
land  office  to  cause  to  be  explored,  and  the  necessary  survey 
to  be  made  of  the  ground  between  the  Mohawk  River  at  or 
near  Fort  Stanwix  and  Wood  Creek,  in  the  county  of  Herki¬ 
mer,  and  to  cause  an  estimate  to  be  made  of  the  probable  ex¬ 
pense  of  making  a  canal,  locks,  &c.,  and  report  to  the  Legis¬ 
lature  at  its  next  meeting.  The  sum  of  one  hundred  pounds 
was  voted  to  defray  the  expense  of  this  and  of  a  similar  sur¬ 
vey  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State.*  The  commissioners 

*  Abraham  Hardenburgh  surveyed  the  route  under  the  celebrated  Engineer 
William  Weston,  around  the  Little  Falls  and  from  Fort  Stanwix  to  Wood  Creek 


52 


ONONDAGA. 


reported  favorably,  and  in  March,  1792,  incorporated  the 
Western  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company,  for  the  purpose 
of  opening  a  canal  and  lock  navigation  from  the  navigable 
waters  of  Hudson  River,  to  be  extended  to  Lake  Ontario  and 
to  the  Seneca  Lake. 

The  work  was  to  be  completed  throughout  in  fifteen  years, 
making  the  waters  of  Wood  Creek,  the  Oswego  River,  and  the 
Seneca  River,  navigable.  The  State  reserved  the  right  of 
taking  it  to  themselves  at  any  time,  by  paying  the  cost  of 
construction  and  a  reasonable  compensation.  By  some  of  the 
restrictions  and  limitations  of  the  act,  those  who  were  most 
anxious  in  the  matter  were  dissatisfied  ;  and,  at  the  next  ses¬ 
sion  of  the  Legislature,  petitioned  for  an  amendment  of  the 
charter,  which  was  granted,  allowing  the  company  to  construct 
a  canal  of  any  size  they  saw  fit,  not  less  than  ten  feet  on  the 
bottom.  And  the  locks  should  be  at  least  seventy  feet  long; 
and  their  charter  was  not  to  be  forfeited,  if  water  was  not  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year,  two  feet  deep.  And  the  company 
were  authorised  to  erect  mills  or  other  hydraulic  works  at 
such  places  as  the  water  was  not  needed  for  the  canal.  Not¬ 
withstanding  these  favorable  terms,  the  corporation  did  not 
flourish,  nor  the  work  progress.  Nearly  one-half  of  the  share¬ 
holders  forfeited  their  first  instalments  of  stock  ;  and,  although 
the  remaining  shareholders  were  willing,  yet  they  were  unable 
to  prosecute  the  work;  and  in  order  to  do  so  with  vigor  and 
energy,  they  again  prayed  legislative  relief.  Accordingly, 
the  Legislature  in  1795,  authorized  the  Treasurer  of  the  State 
to  subscribe  for  two  hundred  shares  of  the  stock,  with  the 
privilege  of  voting  on  shares  like  individuals  and  to  receive 
dividends  of  Stock,  tolls,  &c.  Under  these  provisions,  the 


in  1788;  expenses  thirty-nine  pounds  seventeen  shillings  and  eight  pence.  The 
instrument  first  used  in  leveling  the  route  of  the  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Com¬ 
pany  was  the  same  used  by  Judge  Geddes  in  exploring  the  Erie  Canal  route, 
made  by  David  Rittenhouse,  of  Philadelphia,  and  is  now  in  possession  of  Hon 
George  Geddes,  Camillus. 


ERIE  CANAL. 


53 


■work  was  commenced,  and  the  canal  and  locks  completed 
around  the  Little  Falls.* 

Again  in  1796,  the  sum  of  fifteen  thousand  pounds  was 
loaned  them  by  the  State,  and  a  bond  and  mortgage  taken  on 
their  real  estate  at  Little  Falls,  for  securing  the  payment,  at 
an  interest  of  six  per  cent,  per  annum.  In  1797,  the  com¬ 
pany  required  a  further  sum  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  thou¬ 
sand  dollars,  in  order  to  prosecute  the  plan,  which  sum  was 
granted,  and  in  1800  the  work  was  completed. 

Although  this  improvement  gave  relief  for  the  time  being, 
and  greatly  aided  the  facilities  for  transportation,  still  as  busi¬ 
ness  increased  with  the  population  of  the  country,  it  was 
found  quite  insufficient  for  the  requirements  of  the  public. 
Further  improvements  were  thought  to  be  necessary ;  a  canal 
direct  from  Lake  Erie  to  the  Hudson  Elver  soon  became  a 
theme  of  conversation  and  finally  of  serious  consideration. 
In  a  casual  conversation  with  the  Surveyor  General  Simeon 
De  Witt ;  Gouverneur  Morris  in  1803  remarks,  u  Lalce  Erie 
must  be  tapped ,  and  the  waters  carried  across  the  country  to 
the  Hudson.”  With  thousands,  the  idea  of  a  canal  was  scout¬ 
ed  as  wild  and  chimerical ;  still  there  were  those,  and  men 
of  comprehensive  minds,  who  could  believe  and  advocate  the 
plan  as  feasible  and  worthy  of  adoption.  But  the  minds  of 
the  mass  of  community  had  first  to  be  prepared  for  it.  With 
this  view,  Jesse  Hawley,  Esq.,  of  Ontario,  produced  those 
valuable  papers  signed  Hercules,  and  in  1810  Dr.  Hugh  Wil¬ 
liamson,  of  New-York,  produced  several  able  papers,  all 
strongly  urging  the  merits  of  the  canal  and  setting  forth,  in 
the  ablest  manner,  the  most  substantial  reasons  why  such  a 
measure  should  be  speedily  accomplished,  considering  the 
ability  of  the  State  of  New-York  to  successfully  consummate 
so  magnificient  a  project.  Judge  Joshua  Forman,  of  Onon¬ 
daga,  became  enlisted  in  the  cause,  and  in  1807,  was  elected 

*  The  locks  around  the  Little  Falls  were  constructed  under  the  superintend¬ 
ence  of  General  Philip  Schuyler,  whose  memory,  for  services  rendered  his  coun¬ 
try,  will  long  be  cherished  with  affection.  He  was,  after  the  completion  of  the 
work  in  1795,  appointed  the  first  president  of  the  company,  and  sunerintendent. 


54 


ONONDAGA. 


a  member  of  the  Legislature  bj  the  people  of  Onondaga,  with 
express  reference  to  moving  in  that  body  the  grand  project  of 
a  canal.*  In  1807,  President  Jefferson  proposed  to  Congress 
to  devote  a  part  of  the  public  revenue  to  making  roads  and 
canals,  and  Mr.  Gallatin  made  an  able  report  on  the  subject. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1808,  carrying  out  the  views  of 
his  constituents,  Judge  Forman  rose  in  his  place  and  called  up 
a  resolution,  which  had  been  previously  submitted  and  ordered 
to  lie  on  the  table.  This  resolution  proposed,  that  a  joint 
committee  should  be  appointed  to  take  into  consideration  the 
propriety  of  exploring  and  causing  an  accurate  survey  to  be 
made  of  the  most  eligible  and  direct  route  for  a  canal  to  open 
a  communication  between  the  tide  waters  of  the  Hudson  Ri¬ 
ver  and  Lake  Erie,  to  the  end  that  Congress  might  be  enabled 
to  appropriate  such  sums  as  should  be  necessary  to  the  ac- 
accomplishment  of  that  great  national  object,  and  in  case  of 
such  concurrence,  that  Messrs.  Gold,  Gilbert,  German,  Hoge- 
boom  and  Forman,  be  a  committee  on  the  part  of  the  House. 
The  Senate  concurred  in  the  resolution,  and  appointed,  on  the 
part  of  the  Senate,  Messrs.  Taylor,  Nicholas  and  Ward,  a 
committee  to  confer  with  the  House.  The  resolution,  says 
Judge  Forman,  was  adopted  on  the  ground,  as  expressed  by 
several  members,  “  that  it  could  do  no  harm ,  and  might  do 
some  good.”  The  proposition  was  startling,  and  it  is  said  was 
at  first  received  by  the  House  with  such  expressions  of  sur¬ 
prise  and  ridicule,  as  are  alone  due  to  the  most  wild  and  fool¬ 
ish  projects.  It  was  fortunately,  however,  firmly  sustained  by 
Mr.  Forman,  who,  on  all  occasions,  stood  foremost  with  a  few 
friends  the  fearless  champion  of  the  work.  But  the  joint 
committee,  prepossessed  in  favor  of  the  Oswego  route,  direct¬ 
ed  the  Surveyor  General  to  cause  a  survey  to  be  made  of  the 
rivers,  streams  and  waters,  in  the  usual  route  between  Hud¬ 
son  River  and  Lake  Erie,  and  such  other  route  as  he  might 
deem  proper,  thus  shifting  upon  the  Surveyor  General  the  re¬ 
sponsibility  of  countenancing  a  project  deemed  by  them  ab¬ 
surd. 


*  Thus.  Wheeler’s  letter,  Onondaga  Democrat,  dated  1 4tli  September,  1846, 


ERIE  CANAL. 


55 


April  11th,  1808,  a  law  was  passed  authorizing  the  Survey¬ 
or  General  to  draw  upon  the  Treasury  of  the  State,  for  such 
sum  or  sums  as  he  might  require  to  prosecute  the  survey  con¬ 
templated  in  the  resolutions  of  the  joint  committee,  not  ex¬ 
ceeding  in  the  whole,  the  sum  of  six  hundred  dollars,  and  this 
was  all  that  was  appropriated  for  the  first  survey  and  explora¬ 
tion  of  the  grand  Erie  Canal.  Upon  this,  the  Surveyor  Gen¬ 
eral  appointed  James  Geddes,  Esq.,  of  Onondaga,  to  make 
the  survey,  and  in  his  commission  and  instructions  to  Mr. 
Geddes,  makes  these  remarks  :  “  As  the  provision  made  for 
the  expenses  of  this  business  is  not  adequate  to  the  effectual 
exploring  of  the  country  for  this  purpose,  you  will  in  the  first 
place,  examine  what  may  appear  to  be  the  best  route  for  a 
canal  from  Oneida  Lake  to  Lake  Ontario,  in  the  town  of  Mex¬ 
ico,  and  take  a  level  and  survey  of  it ;  also  whether  a  canal 
cannot  be  made  between  the  Oneida  Lake  and  Oswego,  by  a 
route  in  part  to  the  west  of  Oswego  River,  so  as  to  avoid  those 
parts  along  it,  where  it  will  be  impracticable  to  make  a  good 
navigation.  The  next  object  will  be,  the  ground  between  Lakes 
Erie  and  Ontario,  which  must  be  examined  with  the  view  to 
determine  what  will  be  the  most  eligible  track  for  a  canal  from 
below  Niagara  Falls  to  Lake  Erie.  If  your  means  will  ad¬ 
mit  of  it,  it  would  be  desirable  to  have  a  level  taken  through¬ 
out  the  whole  distance  between  the  lakes.”  The  Surveyor 
General  refrains  from  instructing  Mr.  Geddes  to  make  an  in¬ 
terior  survey,  because  of  the  inefficiency  of  the  appropriation 
for  that  purpose.*  Mr.  Geddes  entered  with  zeal  and  ear¬ 
nestness  upon  his  duties,  and  in  1809  submitted  his  report  of 
three  different  routes.  The  first,  a  communication  between 
Lake  Oneida  and  Lake  Ontario.  Second,  the  Niagara  River 
route ;  and  third,  an  interior  route,  without  descending  to,  or 
passing  through  Lake  Ontario. 


*  Mr.  Geddes’  expenses  exceeded  the  appropriation  by  seventy-three  dollars, 
which  sum  was  afterwards  allowed  by  the  Legislature,  so  that  the  whole  engi¬ 
neer's  expenses  for  this  exploration  cost  the  State  of  New- York  only  six  hundred 
and  seVenty-three  dollars,  an  investment  made  by  the  State,  which  for  profit  and 
importance,  will  probably  never  be  exceeded. 


56 


ONONDAGA. 


In  comparing  the  Ontario  with  the  interior  route,  the  re¬ 
port  is  strongly  in  favor  of  the  latter.  In  addition,  Mr.  Ged- 
des  was  directed  to  examine  by  inspection,  a  canal  route  from 
Lake  Erie  to  Genesee  River,  and  thence  to  the  waters  run¬ 
ning  east  to  the  Seneca  River,  and  gather  all  the  information 
in  his  power,  for  the  prosecution  of  the  great  work,  should 
the  Legislature  think  fit  to  provide  for  it.  The  report  was 
favorable  on  the  practicability  of  an  interior  route  from  Lake 
Erie,  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  Judge  Geddes’  plan 
and  route  was  mainly  followed  in  the  final  location  of  the 
canal.*  The  country  from  the  Seneca  River  in  the  Cayuga 
valley,  to  the  Mohawk  River  at  Rome,  and  thence  to  the  Hud¬ 
son  River,  was  so  well  known  as  to  leave  no  apprehensions  of 
insuperable  difficulties.  Thus  by  the  operations  of  1808, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  true  men  of  Onondaga, 
the  fact  was  satisfactorily  established  that  a  canal  from  the 
Hudson  River  to  Lake  Erie,  was  not  only  practicable  but 
practicable  with  uncommon  facility.  In  January,  1809,  in 
company  with  Wm,  Kirkpatrick,  then  member  of  Congress 
from  Oneida  County ;  Judge  Forman  waited  on  President 
Jefferson,  and  informed  him,  that  in  view  of  his  proposition 
to  expend  the  surplus  revenues  of  the  nation  in  making  roads 
and  canals,  the  State  of  New-York  had  explored  the  route  of 
a  canal  from  the  Hudson  River  to  Lake  Erie,  and  had  found 
it  practicable;  and  when  Mr.  Forman  had  laid  all  the  esti¬ 
mates,  plans,  surveys,  descriptions  and  anticipated  advantages 
before  Mr.  Jefferson,  and  portrayed  its  commercial  prospects 
and  the  profits  which  would  accrue  to  the  United  States,  as 
well  as  to  the  State  of  New-York,  the  President  very  coolly 
replied,  “  It  is  a  splendid  project,  and  may  be  executed,  a 
century  hence.  Why,  sir,”  said  he,  “here  is  a  canal  of  a 
few  miles,  projected  by  General  Washington,  which,  if  com¬ 
pleted  would  render  this  a  fine  commercial  city ;  which  has 
languished  for  many  years,  because  the  small  sum  of  two  hun¬ 
dred  thousand  dollars,  necessary  to  complete  it,  cannot  be  ob- 


See  letter  to  William  Darley,  Canal  Documents,  Vol.  I.  page  42. 


ERIE  CANAL. 


57 


tained  from  the  general  government,  or  from  individuals — and 
you  talk  of  making  a  canal  of  350  miles,  through  a  wilder¬ 
ness — it  is  little  short  of  madness  to  think  of  it  at  this  day.” 
(Hosack’s  life  of  Clinton,  page  347.) 

In  1810,  so  favorable  and  satisfactory  had  been  the  report 
of  the  engineer,  James  Geddes,  and  so  much  in  favor  was 
this  grand  project  with  discerning  men,  that  the  Legislature 
passed  an  act  for  the  appointment  of  a  Board  of  Commis¬ 
sioners  composed  of  Gouverneur  Morris,  Stephen  Van  Rens¬ 
selaer,  De  Witt  Clinton,  Simeon  De  Witt,  William  North, 
Thomas  Eddy  and  Peter  B.  Porter,  to  which  were  afterwards 
added  Robert  II.  Livingston  and  Robert  Fulton.  These  gen¬ 
tlemen  were  instructed  to  explore  the  inland  navigation  route, 
and  they  reported  favorably  the  next  year.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark  that  the  canal  commissioners  in  casting  about  for  corn- 
competent  engineers  for  laying  out  the  Erie  Canal,  were  at  a 
loss  where  to  apply.  Supposing  there  was  not  a  man  in 
America  of  sufficient  science  and  ability  to  accomplish  the 
task,  they  opened  a  correspondence  with  an  American  gentle¬ 
man  at  that  time  in  London,  authorizing  him  to  engage  Wil¬ 
liam  Weston,  Esq.,  then  considered  the  most  accomplished 
engineer  in  Europe,  to  come  over  and  survey  the  route  of  the 
canal,  and  proposed  as  a  maximum  salary  seven  thousand 
dollars  per  year.  Fortunately  Mr.  Weston’s  engagements 
were  such  that  he  thought  proper  to  decline.  In  this  dilem¬ 
ma  Benjamin  Wright  and  James  Geddes,  Esqrs.,  held  a  con¬ 
sultation  and  agreed  to  go  before  the  board  of  canal  commis¬ 
sioners  and  offer  to  survey  the  canal  route  provided  they  would 
give  them  their  confidence.  The  proposition  was  accepted  ; 
to  them  the  work  was  assigned,  and  they  were  engaged  at  a 
salary  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  per  year.* 

It  may  be  considered  a  fortunate  circumstance  that  Mr. 
Weston  did  not  accept  the  offer  of  the  canal  commissioners. 
Because  from  the  ostentation  usually  displayed  by  foreign 
engineers  and  the  great  expense  attending  their  movements 


*  Correspondence  of  James  Geddes. 


58 


ONONDAGA. 


the  people  of  this  frugal  and  republican  country  would  have 
become  discouraged,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  the  work 
would  have  been  abandoned  or  at  least  indefinitely  deferred. 
It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  engineers  employed  on  the 
Eric  and  Champlain  Canals  were  Americans,  except  in  two 
instances,  where  a  French,  and  an  Irish  gentleman  were  em¬ 
ployed  in  subordinate  stations  for  less  than  a  year. 

Gouverneur  Morris  and  De  Witt  Clinton  were  commission¬ 
ed  to  proceed  to  Washington  and  present  a  memorial  to  con¬ 
gress,  but  were  unsuccessful  in  their  application  to  that  body 
for  assistance.  In  March,  1812,  the  commissioners  again 
made  a  report  “  that  now  sound  policy  demanded  that  the 
canal  should  be  made  by  the  State  of  New- York  on  her  own 
account.”  This  year  the  commissioners  reported  estimates  of 
the  cost  of  building  and  completing  the  canal,  cost  of  trans¬ 
portation  on  it  when  completed,  probable  amount  of  tolls  to 
be  received,  revenue,  importance  to  the  State,  individual  op¬ 
position,  the  procuring  and  application  of  funds  for  construc¬ 
tion,  and  every  thing  that  could  have  a  bearing  upon  the  great 
question  ;  congress  was  again  solicited  for  aid,  some  of  the 
States  were  addressed  for  assistance,  Mr.  Morris  and  Mr. 
Clinton,  waited  on  President  Madison,  who,  though  an  en¬ 
thusiast  personally  in  the  matter,  was  nevertheless  embarrass¬ 
ed  by  scruples  derived  from  his  interpretation  of  the  consti¬ 
tution.  Although  favorable  mention  of  the  matter  was  made 
in  his  next  succeeding  message  to  Congress,  and  that  body  at 
one  time  entertained  favorable  views,  still,  a  few  days  of  de¬ 
lay  was  sufficient  to  produce  a  change  of  opinion,  and  the 
subject  was  dismissed.  The  war  of  1812  caused  a  suspension 
of  the  project  and  it  was  not  again  resumed  until  after  its 
close.  In  1815,  the  subject  was  again  revived.  During  the 
session  of  1816  a  memorial  was  presented  to  the  Legislature 
signed  by  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  individuals  from 
New-York,  and  the  counties  through  which  the  proposed  canal 
should  pass,  calling  upon  its  members  to  pass  laws  for  the 
commencement  and  execution  of  the  proposed  canals. 

A  large  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Onondaga  County,  was 


ERIE  CANAL. 


59 


held  at  the  Court  House  on  the -23d  of  February,  1816.  A 
preliminary  meeting  had  been  previously  held,  at  which  Judge 
Forman  had  been  appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  a  memo¬ 
rial  to  the  Legislature.  This  memorial  was  read  by  Judge 
Forman  at  this  meeting,  and  approved  by  acclamation.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  circulate  it  throughout  the  county, 
consisting  of  Daniel  Kellogg,  of  Marcellus  ;  Gideon  "Wilcox- 
on,  Camillus;  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  Lysander  ;  Ashbel  Kellogg, 
Salina;  John  Leach,  Cicero;  Sylvanus  Tousley,  Manlius; 
Barnet  Mooney,  Hannibal ;  Daniel  Wood,  Pompey  ;  Marcus 
Adams,  Fabius  ;  Asaliel  Roundy,  Spafford  ;  Garret  Van  Hoe- 
sen,  Tully,  and  Joshua  Forman,  of  Onondaga;  adding  the 
Chairman  and  Secretary.  Signed,  James  Geddes,  Chairman, 
Jasper  Hopper,  Secretary.  Over  three  thousand  names  were 
subscribed  to  this  memorial.  The  memorial  was  lucid,  con¬ 
cise  and  forcible,  and  drawn  up  with  great  ability.  It  contem¬ 
plated  $10,000,000,  for  the  cost  of  the  canal,  covering  every 
possible  contingency.  This  memorial  contemplated  also,  that 
the  State  of  New-York  should  be  charged  with  $2,500,000  ; 
the  United  States  with  $2,500,000 ;  the  State  of  Ohio  with 
$1,000,000 ;  the  city  of  New-York  and  counties  contiguous 
to  the  canal  $2,000,000,  and  private  stock  holders  $2,000,000. 

The  Legislature  authorized  a  loan  on  the  credit  of  the  State 
for  a  million  of  dollars,  and  the  section  from  Rome  to  Seneca 
River,  was  fixed  upon  as  the  first  to  be  commenced.  In  1816 
Judge  Geddes  made  another  report,  of  the  state  and  gene¬ 
ral  view  of  the  country,  from  Black  Rock  rapid  to  the  Cay¬ 
uga  marshes,  and  Benjamin  Wright,  Esq.,  upon  the  same 
subject,  from  the  Cayuga  marshes  to  Rome,  and  from  thence 
through  the  Mohawk  valley  to  Albany.  De  Witt  Clinton,  Ste¬ 
phen  Van  Rensselaer,  Samuel  Young,  Joseph  Elliott  and  My¬ 
ron  Holley  were  appointed  Canal  Commissioners,  and  were 
directed  thoroughly  to  explore  the  route  of  the  proposed  ca¬ 
nal,  make  estimates  of  expenses,  calculations,  surveys,  maps, 
fieldbooks,  plans,  drafts,  models,  &c.,  and  to  present  the  same 
to  the  Legislature,  within  twenty  days  after  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  its  next  regular  session,  and  a  sum  not  exceeding 


60 


ONONDAGA. 


twenty  thousand  dollars  was  appropriated  for  that  object. 
Accordingly  the  whole  was  carefully  surveyed  and  estimates 
were  made  for  the  construction  of  a  canal  from  Lake  Erie  to 
the  Hudson  River,  and  finally  set  down  at  five  millions  of 
dollars. 

Early  in  the  year  1817,  as  a  last  resort,  Congress  was  again 
memorialized  upon  the  subject  of  the  New- York  canals,  and 
solicited  to  construct  them  on  the  authority  and  patronage  of 
the  United  States,  but  without  success.  Thus  the  State  of 
New-York  was  thrown  entirely  upon  her  own  resources.  The 
commissioners  were  every  where  active  in  gathering  informa¬ 
tion.  No  point  was  left  unexamined.  The  route  was  divided 
into  three  sections.  The  levels  and  surveys  of  the  previous 
years  were  reviewed,  and  in  order  to  test  their  accuracy  and 
correctness,  it  was  deemed  expedient  that  Mr.  Geddes  should 
start  at  a  given  point  on  the  canal  line  at  Rome,  and  carry 
a  level  along  the  road  to  the  east  end  of  Oneida  Lake,  thence 
to  the  west  end  along  the  southern  shore,  and  connect  this 
level  with  the  Onondaga  Lake,  and  thence  to  the  canal  line, 
thence  working  east,  laying  off  sections  on  said  line.  This 
was  accomplished,  and  nine  miles  thus  laid  off  into  sections. 
Mr.  Wright  had  carried  a  level  along  the  canal  line,  and  the 
commissioners  remark,  that  when  the  level  of  Mr.  Wright  had 
been  carried  to  the  place  where  Mr.  Geddes  had  terminated 
his  line,  the  levels  of  these  two  engineers,  which  embraced  a 
circuit  from  the  place  of  departure  to  the  place  of  conjunc¬ 
tion,  a  distance  of  nearly  one  hundred  miles,  differed  from 
each  other  less  than  one  inch  and  a  half.  This  result,  so 
satisfactory,  exhibits  in  the  engineers,  a  degree  of  care,  skill 
and  precision  in  the  delicate  process  of  leveling,  which  has 
perhaps  never  been  exceeded. 

All  things  were  now  ready  for  a  commencement  and  rapid 
prosecution  of  the  work.  The  first  contract  was  dated  27th 
June,  1817,  and  the  remaining  part  of  the  whole  middle  sec¬ 
tion  was  under  contract  very  soon  thereafter,  and  on  the  4th 
of  July  following,  the  excavation  was  commenced  at  Rome 
with  appropriate  ceremonies.  The  first  contract  was  given  to 


ERIE  CANAL. 


61 


Judge  John  Richardson,  of  Cayuga.  At  the  commencement 
of  the  ceremony,  Judge  Hathaway,  of  Rome,  gave  the  spade 
to  Commissioner  Samuel  Young,  who  placed  it  in  the  hands 
of  Judge  Richardson.  Each  presentation  of  the  spade,  was 
accompanied  by  a  short  and  pertinent  address.  Judge  Rich¬ 
ardson  broke  the  first  ground,  and  was  soon  followed  by  sev¬ 
eral  citizens  and  laborers,  accompanied  by  the  acclamations  of 
thousands  of  spectators  who  had  congregated,  and  the  dis¬ 
charge  of  cannon  from  the  United  States  Arsenal.  It  is  per¬ 
haps  a  singular  coincidence,  that  the  first  movement  in  the 
Halls  of  Legislation,  relative  to  the  Erie  Canal,  was  made  by 
a  member  from  Onondaga, — that  the  first  exploration  was 
made  by  an  engineer  of  Onondaga, — that  the  first  contract 
was  given  to,  and  the  first  ground  broken  by  a  contractor,  who 
had  been  several  years  a  resident  of  Onondaga,  and  all  of 
whom  had  been  Judges  of  our  County  Courts,  and  members 
of  the  Legislature  from  Onondaga  County.  The  work  pro¬ 
gressed  with  unusual  rapidity.  The  zeal  and  perseverance  of 
the  commissioners,  and  the  activity  and  industry  of  the  con¬ 
tractors,  was  every  where  exerted. 

In  1819  the  middle  section  from  Utica  to  Seneca  River,  in¬ 
cluding  a  lateral  canal  to  Salina,  about  ninety-four  miles,  was 
reported  by  Governor  Clinton,  in  his  annual  message  of  1820, 
as  completed.  The  animation  which  the  completion  and  use 
of  this  section  gave  to  our  internal  trade  and  intercourse,  and 
the  revenue  which  promised  to  be  derived  from  it,  inspired  all 
the  advocates  of  the  work  with  renewed  vigor,  and  many  who 
had  been  its  stern  opposers,  or  silent  witnesses  of  its  progress, 
acknowledged  the  incorrectness  of  their  views,  entered  hear¬ 
tily  into  the  measure,  and  readily  consented  that  the  western 
and  eastern  sections  should  be  completed.  By  the  opening 
of  this  portion  of  the  canal,  the  resources  of  Onondaga  were 
more  fully  ascertained  and  developed.  Her  salt,  gypsum  and 
lime  found  their  way  to  a  ready  market,  and  the  produce  of 
the  agriculturist  an  outlet,  affording  more  ample  remuneration 
for  his  labor  ;  a  new  and  vigorous  impulse  was  given  to  her  ad¬ 
vancement  and  prosperity  which  placed  her  among  the  first 


62 


ONONDAGA. 


counties  of  the  Empire  State,  a  position  which  she  is  destined 
long  to  enjoy.  Notwithstanding  these  favorable  results,  there 
were  still,  narrow  minds  and  selfish  spirits  actively  employed 
to  defeat  the  further  progress  of  the  work.  Many  judged 
that  the  income  of  the  whole  canal  would  not  equal  the  por¬ 
tion  already  completed.  Local  feelings  had  to  be  combated, 
and  prejudices  overcome,  indignities  to  he  borne,  and  every 
species  of  contumely  and  perverseness  tampered  with  by  the 
friends  and  supporters  of  the  plan.  With  a  devotion  above 
all  praise,  the  commissioners  and  advocates  of  the  work  stay¬ 
ed  not  their  hands,  till  finally,  in  November,  A.  D.  1825,  a 
period  of  only  eight  years  and  four  months,  it  was  proclaimed 
to  the  world  that  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  were  connected  with 
those  of  the  Hudson  River,  without  one  foot  of  portage, 
through  one  of  the  longest  canals  in  the  world ;  and  the  cost, 
according  to  the  books  of  the  Comptroller,  including  the 
Champlain  Canal,  was  $8,273,122  66,  and  is  considered  one 
of  the  most  stupendous  and  magnificent  works  of  this  or  any 
other  age.  Middle  section  of  the  canal  cost  at  the  rate  of 
about  $13,000  per  mile.  The  eastern  section  about  $28,000 
per  mile;  the  western  about  $20,000  per  mile.  The  illustri¬ 
ous  Jefferson,  who  lived  till  after  it  was  completed,  declared 
that  “it  exceeded  even  calculation  itself.  New- York  has  an¬ 
ticipated  by  a  full  century,  the  ordinary  progress  of  improve¬ 
ment.”  If  the  canal  benefited  the  people  of  Onondaga,  the 
men  of  Onondaga  were  principal  promoters  of  the  undertak¬ 
ing  in  all  its  incipient  steps.  “To  the  honor  of  originating 
the. project  of  connecting  the  waters  of  the  Hudson  with  the 
lakes,  Mr.  Clinton  never  made  the  slightest,  pretension.  His 
was  not  the  mind  so  narrowed  by  sordid  envy  as  to  claim  or 
desire  the  credit  belonging  to  others.  He  knew  that  many 
powerful  minds  had  been  directed  to  this  subject,  and  that  all 
these  had  contributed  their  quota  to  the  development  and  per¬ 
fection  of  the  original  idea  of  a  water  communication  through 
the  valley  of  the  Mohawk  to  the  lakes.  He  was  aware  that 
Washington,  in  his  letters,  Hawley,  in  his  essays,  and  For¬ 
man,  in  his  introduction  of  the  subject  into  the  Legislature, 


ERIE  CANAL. 


63 


had  preceded  him  in  his  inquiries,  and  that  the  united  efforts 
of  many  more  distinguished  men,  had  assisted  to  bring  forward 
and  mature  the  vast  enterprise.”*  “  Although  others  claimed  it 
for  him,  yet  Mr.  Clinton  never  claimed  for  himself  the  origi¬ 
nal  idea  of  the  canal.  ”f 

Although  Gouverneur  Morris  said  in  a  casual  conversation 
with  Simeon  De  Witt,  that  “  Lake  Erie  must  be  tapjjed” 
and  had  traveled  and  seen  canals  in  other  countries,  and  no 
doubt  had  bright  visions  of  the  future  improvements  in  this 
country  and  occasionally  astonished  his  friends  by  detailing 
them  in  conversation,  but  it  was  no  wise  probable  that  he 
viewed  them  as  works  to  be  accomplished  in  his  day,  or  as  a 
patriot  he  would  have  proposed  the  subject  himself  to  the  Le¬ 
gislature,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and  brought  the  project 
into  favorable  notice.  It  was  James  Geddes,  of  Onondaga, 
who  traversed  the  wilderness  of  western  New-York,  and 
gathered  all  the  materials,  and  reported  all  the  facts  upon 
which  statistics  were  based,  and  Joshua  Forman,  of  Onondaga, 
who  from  the  beginning  was  the  uncompromising,  unflinching 
defender  and  eloquent  advocate  of  the  great  work ;  and  it  was 
not  till  after  these  men  had  labored  long  and  faithfully  in  the 
cause,  that  the  giant  intellect  and  master  mind  of  De  Witt 
Clinton  was  aroused  to  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  this  mag¬ 
nificent  undertaking.  These  two  men  of  Onondaga,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end,  were  intimately  connected  with  the  work, 
in  fact,  identical  with  it,  and  indispensable  to  it.  They  la¬ 
bored  faithfully  and  effectually  throughout;  Judge  Geddes  as 
an  able  engineer,  Judge  Forman  as  the  unwavering  promoter  of 
its  utility.  These  two  men  furnished  more  solid  information 
relative  to  the  canal,  than  all  others  put  together.  Till  they 
took  hold  of  it,  the  whole  matter  was  considered  by  most  men 
but  an  idle  dream,  a  delusion,  a  false,  unfeasible  project. 

The  first  ground  broken  on  the  Erie  Canal,  in  the  county 
of  Onondaga,  was  by  Mr.  Elias  Gumaer,  in  the  town  of  Man- 

*  See  Hon.  J.  R.  Lawrence’s  Clinton  Monument  Report,  Assem.  Doc.  IS 39, 
vol.  4,  No.  215. 

t  Hosack,  p.  304. 


64 


ONONDAGA. 


lius.  Oliver  Teall,  Esq.,  took  several  contracts  in  tlie  eastern 
part  of  the  county.  Messrs.  Northrup  and  Dexter,  and  Jere¬ 
miah  Keeler,  built  a  section  or  two  through  Syracuse.  Haz¬ 
ard  Lewis,  of  Binghamton,  built  the  locks.  The  first  locks 
were  built  of  Elbridge  sand-stone.  Commissioners,  engineers, 
builders  and  masons,  had  no  idea  that  the  Onondaga  lime¬ 
stone  could  be  cut  for  facing-stone  for  locks,  so  little  was  this 
Valuable  material  then  understood.  After  the  canal  was  com¬ 
pleted,  all  things  were  ready,  and  the  water  was  let  in.  For  a 
long  time  it  would  not  flow  further  west  on  the  Syracuse  level 
than  the  Stone  bridge  ;  the  water  all  disappeared  in  a  bed  of 
loose  gravel.  Many  despaired  of  ever  making  the  canal  tight ; 
but  after  a  deal  of  perplexity,  this  place  was  stopped,  and  the 
water  ran  on  to  the  Raynor  Block,  and  there  performed  the 
same  freak,  and  it  was  several  weeks  before  this  level  could 
be  filled. 

The  first  boats  used  on  the  canal,  were  the  Mohawk  boats, 
with  wide  walking  boards  for  poling  up  the  Mohawk  River. 

Oliver  Teall  was  appointed  the  first  Superintendent  on  the 
Erie  Canal,  and  Joshua  Forman,  the  first  Collector;  office  at 
Syracuse. 

In  1819,  the  Canal  Commissioners  recommended  the  con¬ 
struction  of  a  water  communication  from  the  Erie  Canal  to 
the  salt  works  at  Salina,  which  work  was  completed  simulta¬ 
neously  with  the  middle  section  of  the  Erie  Canal.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  year,  the  Legislature  directed  the  canal  commissioners 
to  open  a  boat  navigation  between  the  village  of  Salina  and 
Onondaga  Lake,  and  the  Seneca  River.  This  was  named  the 
Salina  Canal ;  but  afterwards,  when  the  improvement  was 
continued  to  Oswego  ;  the  whole  was  designated  as  the  Oswego 
Canal,  which  was  completed  in  1826-7,  and  is  now  the  great¬ 
est  avenue  for  the  exportation  of  Onondaga  salt. 

Hydraulic  Cement. — Intimately  connected  with  the  Erie 
Canal,  is  the  discovery  and  history  of  water  lime,  or  Ameri¬ 
can  Hydraulic  Cement.  The  first  works  of  masonry  on  the 
Erie  Canal,  were  contracted  to  be  done  with  common  quick- 


ERIE  CANAL. 


65 


lime.  Mr.  Mason  Harris  and  Mr. - Livingston,  of  Sulli¬ 

van,  Madison  county,  entered  into  a  contract  to  furnish  a  quan¬ 
tity  of  this  lime  for  the  construction  of  culverts,  aqueducts, 
&c.,  on  the  middle  section  of  the  canal,  between  Rome  and 
Salina.  They  burned  a  large  kiln  and  commenced  the  delivery 
of  it.  The  purchasers,  upon  trial,  found  that  it  would  not 
slack ;  all  were  greatly  surprised  who  heard  of  the  facts,  and 
wondered  at  the  singularity.  The  circumstance  became  com¬ 
mon  talk  among  all  classes,  in  any  way  engaged  in  canal  mat¬ 
ters,  and  finally  became  known  to  the  engineers,  of  whom 
Canvass  White  was  one,  and  Judge  Wright  another,  who  took 
an  interest  in  the  affair.  The  article  was  examined,  and  the 
ledge  from  whence  it  was  taken.  Dr.  Barto,  a  scientific  gen¬ 
tleman  from  Herkimer  County,  was  called  upon  to  make  ex¬ 
periments,  to  prove  what  this  new  substance  should  be.  He 
came  on,  took  some  of  the  rough  stone,  and  in  the  trip  ham¬ 
mer  shop  of  John  B.  Yates,  at  Chittenango,  burned  a  parcel, 
pulverized  it  in  a  mortar,  and  in  Elisha  Carey’s  bar-room,  (the 
present  Polytechny.)  in  the  presence  of  Messrs.  Wright,  White, 
and  several  others,  mixed  it  with  sand,  rolled  a  ball  of  it,  and 
placed  it  in  a  bucket  of  water  for  the  night.  In  the  morning 
it  had  set,  was  solid  enough  to  roll  across  the  floor,  and  by  Dr. 
Barto  pronounced  cement,  not  inferior  to  the  Roman  of  Pu- 
teoli,  or  the  Dutch  Tarras  of  the  Rhine.  Mr.  White  had  re¬ 
cently  returned  from  England,  where  he  had  been  to  examine 
bridges,  canals,  aqueducts,'  culverts,  &c.,  of  that  country,  and 
the  materials  of  which  they  were  made. 

At  considerable  expense,  and  by  repeated  experiments,  ho 
found  this  to  be  an  excellent  substitute  for  the  Roman  cement, 
and  he  sought  for  and  obtained  a  patent  right  of  the  United 
States,  for  this  discovery.  Notwithstanding  the  patent,  four 
hundred  thousand  bushels  was  made  and  used  on  the  canal, 
which  might  subject  the  manufacturers  to  the  payment  of  six¬ 
teen  thousand  dollars,  if  prosecuted.  Mr.  White  devoted  con¬ 
siderable  time  and  money  in  making  experiments,  and  in  in¬ 
troducing  this  cement,  amidst  the  doubts  and  fears  which 
essentially  operated  against  the  general  use  of  it.  It  was  at 

u  5 


66 


ONONDAGA. 


first  used  with  great  reluctance  and  caution  ;  commissioners, 
builders,  and  particularly  masons,  were  entirely  opposed  to  its 
use.  In  1819,  abutments,  culverts,  aqueducts  and  locks,  be¬ 
gan  to  be  constructed.  At  first  the  face  work  of  the  locks 
only  was  laid  in  water-lime,  and  the  arches  of  the  aqueducts ; 
the  other  work  was  laid  in  common  lime.  No  provision  had 
been  made  by  the  Canal  Commissioners,  for  the  importation 
of  cement ;  the  expense  was  dreaded.  They  appeared  to  think 
that  under  the  circumstances,  common  lime  would  answer  for 
the  work,  although  Tarras  or  Roman  cement  had  been  recom¬ 
mended  by  Judge  Wright. 

All  mason  work  on  the  canal,  was  laid  in  water-lime  after 
1819.  The  discovery  was  considered  of  immense  importance 
to  the  State,  and  all  agreed  that  Mr.  White  ought  to  be  lib¬ 
erally  rewarded  for  his  persevering  efforts  in  bringing  it  into 
general  use.  Water  lime  was  every  where  used  in  the  face  of 
the  patentee.  At  length  Mr.  White,  finding  no  other  means 
of  redress,  resolved  to  test  the  validity  of  his  right.  He  ac¬ 
cordingly  brought  a  suit  in  the  District  Court  of  the  United 
States,  against  Timothy  Brown,  of  Sullivan,  for  an  infringe¬ 
ment  of  his  patent,  and  obtained  a  judgment  for  seventeen 
hundred  dollars.  Other  contractors  were  equally  liable  ;  the 
article  had  been  manufactured  extensively  in  Madison,  Onon¬ 
daga  and  Cayuga  Counties,  and  Mr.  White  held  a  claim  against 
them,  which  could  be  legally  enforced,  to  the  amount  of  up¬ 
wards  of  twenty  thousand  dollars.  These  contractors,  with 
Mr.  Brown  at  their  head,  petitioned  the  Legislature  for  re¬ 
lief.  Whereupon  a  committee  was  appointed  to  investigate 
the  matter  and  report.  In  1825,  a  compromise  was  effected, 
by  the  State  paying  to  Canvass  White,  the  sum  of  ten  thousand 
dollars,  on  condition  of  his  assigning  and  assuring  to  the  peo¬ 
ple  of  the  State  of  New-York,  the  full  right  forever,  to  man¬ 
ufacture  and  use  this  said  cement,  and  of  his  discharging  the 
said  judgment  and  all  claims  against  the  petitioner,  and  all 
and  every  citizen  of  the  State,  for  or  on  account  of  any  in¬ 
fringement  of  the  said  patent  right.  By  mutual  agreement 
the  whole  matter  was  thus  amicably  arranged,  and  all  persons 


ERIE  CANAL. 


67 


were  thereafter  allowed  to  manufacture  and  use  water  lime. 
The  article  was  first  burned  for  market  in  the  town  of  Sulli¬ 
van,  Madison  County,  one  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Chittenan- 
go,  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1818-19,  on  large  log-heaps. 
John  B.  Yates  fitted  up  a  mill  for  grinding  it.  Mr.  White 
had  the  exclusive  right  of  manufacturing  and  vending  the  ar¬ 
ticle.  The  price  ordinarily  charged,  was  from  three  dollars 
fifty  cents  to  five  dollars  per  barrel  of  five  bushels.  The 
barrels  were  lined  with  oiled  paper,  and  were  made  perfectly 
water  tight. 

It  has  ever  been  considered  a  truly  fortunate  circumstance, 
that  so  valuable  an  article  for  the  permanent  construction  of 
locks,  aqueducts,  &c.,  for  our  canals,  was  found  at  the  very 
time  at  which  it  could  hardly  be  dispensed  with. 


' 


. 


S  Y  R  A  C  U  S  E— J  OSHUA  FORMAN. 


69 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


SYRACUSE— JOSHUA  FORMAN. 


Biographical  Sketch  of  Hon.  Joshua  Forman — City  of  Syracuse. 

Joshua  Forman. — To  give  any  thing  like  a  perfect  biogra¬ 
phical  notice  of  this  distinguished  individual,  would  require  a 
person  more  familiar  with  his  public  acts,  more  intimate  with 
occurrences  which  transpired  at  the  period  in  which  he  was 
most  active,  and  one  who  knew  better  the  public  'worth  and 
private  excellence  of  his  character  than  the  author.  But  as 
he,  for  a  period  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  was  a 
leader  in  the  affairs  of  this  county,  and  became  identified 
with  all  the  majestic  projects  of  State  policy,  we  cannot  pass 
him  by  without  an  attempt  to  do  justice  to  his  merits. 

Joshua  Forman  was  born  at  Pleasant  Talley,  in  the  county 
of  Duchess  and  State  of  New-York,  the  6th  of  September, 
1777.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and  Hannah  Forman,  who 
previous  to  the  Revolution,  resided  in  the  city  of  Xew-York. 
Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  and  the  approach  of  the 
British  to  that  City,  Mr.  Joseph  Forman  with  his  family,  re¬ 
tired  to  Pleasant  Valley,  where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
born.  At  an  early  age  he  evinced  a  strong  desire  for  learn¬ 
ing,  in  which  he  was  encouraged  by  his  friends.  In  the  fall 
of  1793,  he  entered  Union  College,  at  Schenectady,  and  in  due 
time  graduated  with  honor.  Directly  after  his  collegiate 
course  was  completed,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Peter  W. 
Radcliffe,  Esq.,  of  Poughkeepsie,  where  he  remained  about 


70 


ONONDAGA. 


two  years.  He  then  went  to  the  city  of  New- York  and  com¬ 
pleted  his  law  studies  in  the  office  of  Samuel  Miles  Hopkins, 
Esq.  Soon  after  the  close  of  his  professional  course,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Margaret  Alexander,  a  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
Boyd  Alexander,  M.  P.  for  Glasgow,  Scotland.  In  the  spring 
of  1800,  Mr.  Forman  removed  to  Onondaga  Hollow,  and 
opened  a  law  office  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek,  where  he 
began  early  to  manifest  his  public  spirit  and  enterprise.  At 
the  time  he  settled  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  the  village  was 
mainly  situated  on  the  east  side  of  Onondaga  Creek,  and  he 
being  desirous  of  building  up  the  village,  and  of  extending 
its  boundaries,  soon  located  his  father  and  his  brothers  John, 
Samuel  and  Daniel  W.,  near  the  west  end  of  the  present 
village,  on  the  north  and  south  road  passing  through  the 
same,  and  rapidly  built  up  the  western  part.  This  left 
a  space  in  the  middle,  comparatively  unoccupied.  Here, 
Judge  Forman  soon  after  erected  a  large  Hotel,  and  after¬ 
wards  a  fine  residence  for  himself,  which  was  occupied  many 
years  after  Judge  Forman  left  the  Hollow,  by  his  brother- 
in-law,  the  late  Wm.  II.  Sabin.  He  was  also  mainly  instru¬ 
mental  in  procuring  the  location  of  the  academy,  church,  and 
two  or  three  stores  in  the  same  vicinity,  before  he  removed 
from  Onondaga,  thereby  connecting  the  whole  into  one  tol¬ 
erably  compact  settlement. 

By  his  integrity  and  strait  forward  course  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession,  he  soon  became  distinguished  as  a  lawyer 
and  by  his  talents  and  gentlemanly  deportment  became  fami¬ 
liarly  known  throughout  the  country. 

In  1803,  William  H.  Sabin,  Esq.,  joined  him  as  a  partner 
in  the  practice  of  law,  and  for  several  years  they  did  an  ex¬ 
tensive  business.  The  subject  of  the  Erie  Canal  became  a 
theme  of  deep  interest  to  several  of  the  leading  men  of  On¬ 
ondaga,  and  to  none  more  so  than  to  Judge  Forman.  Con¬ 
versations  were  held  by  those  who  were  friends  to  the  project, 
and  measures  were  early  taken  to  bring  the  great  question  be¬ 
fore  the  public.  Mr.  Forman’s  talents  as  a  public  speaker, 
and  as  a  man  of  influence  and  character,  eminently  distin- 


S  Y  R  A  C  U  S  E— J  OSHUA  FORMAN. 


71 


guished  him  to  be  the  individual  who  should  be  foremost  in 
moving  in  the  matter.  Accordingly  in  1807,  a  union  ticket 
was  got  up,  headed  by  John  McWhorter,  Democrat;  and 
Joshua  Forman,  Federalist.  This  ticket  was  carried  with 
trifling  opposition.  It  was  headed  “Canal  Ticket,”  and  as 
such  received  the  cordial  support  of  a  large  majority  of  the 
electors  of  Onondaga  County. 

As  was  anticipated  by  the  friends  of  Judge  Forman  and 
the  great  work  which  he  was  designated  to  advocate,  he  brought 
forward  the  ever  memorable  resolution  in  the  House  of  Assem¬ 
bly,  which  alone  would  render  his  name  immortal,  directing  a 
survey  to  be  made  “of  the  most  eligible  and  direct  route  of 
a  canal,  to  open  a  communication  between  the  tide  waters  of 
the  Hudson  and  Lake  Erie.” 

Mr.  Forman  had  studied  the  subject  of  canals  as  construct¬ 
ed  in  foreign  countries.  His  mind  had  been  applied  intently 
to  their  construction,  utility  and  cost,  and  these  labors  had  been 
brought  to  bear  and  have  weight  upon  the  subject  now  under 
investigation.  He  had  well  considered  all  the  advantages  that 
would  accrue  to  the  United  States  and  the  State  of  New- 
York,  if  this  important  work  should  be  completed.  He  had 
prepared  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  construction,  based  upon 
statistics  of  the  Languedoc  Canal. 

While  discussing  this  subject  in  Albany,  during  the  session, 
Judge  Wright  and  General  McNeill,  of  Oneida,  became  con¬ 
verts  to  the  plan,  through  the  instrumentality  of  Judge  For¬ 
man,  and  Judge  Wright  agreed  to  second  the  resolution  about 
to  be  offered  whenever  it  should  be  brought  up.  Judge  For¬ 
man  had  no  confidence  that  the  general  government  would 
assist  New-York  in  the  construction  of  a  canal,  but  the  reso¬ 
lution  framed  and  offered  by  him  was  so  worded  as  to  give 
President  Jefferson  an  opportunity  to  participate  in  the  mea¬ 
sure  if  he  would.  Fired  with  the  novelty  and  importance  of 
this  project,  and  somewhat  piqued  at  the  manner  of  its  re¬ 
ception  by  the  members  of  the  House,  the  advocate  took  pains 
to  prepare  himself  thoroughly  upon  the  subject,  and  when 
the  resolution  was  called  up,  he  addressed  the  House  in  a  for- 


72 


ONONDAGA. 


cible  and  eloquent  speech  in  its  favor.  Fortunately  the  reso¬ 
lution  was  adopted,  and  for  this  he  Avas  for  years  called  a 
“visionary  projector,”  and  was  asked  a  hundred  times  if  he 
ever  expected  to  live  to  see  his  canal  completed ;  to  which  he 
uniformly  answered,  that  “  as  surely  as  he  lived  to  the  ordi¬ 
nary  age  of  man,  he  did ;  that  it  might  take  ten  years  to 
prepare  the  public  mind  for  the  undertaking,  and  as  many 
more  to  accomplish  it,  nevertheless  it  would  be  done.*” 

Had  not  Joshua  Formaii  brought  forward  the  subject  as  he 
did,  it  is  not  easy  to  conceive  who  would  have  had  the  moral 
courage  to  meet  the  ridicule,  of  proposing  in  earnest,  what 
was  considered  so  wild  a  measure.  Had  it  not  been  for  this 
timely  movement,  the  subject  might  have  lain  idle  for  years, 
so  far  as  Legislative  action  was  concerned.  But  by  it,  the 
ice  was  broken  and  an  impetus  given  to  a  direct  canal,  by  the 
discoveries  made  under  it,  and  to  Joshua  Forman  must  ever 
be  accorded  the  high  consideration,  as  the  first  legislative  pro¬ 
jector  of  the  greatest  improvement  of  the  age. 

During  all  the  times  of  darkness,  discouragement  and  doubt, 
he  boldly  stood  forth  the  unflinching  champion  of  its  feasi¬ 
bility,  utility  and  worth,  till  the  day  of  its  completion. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  grand  canal  celebration,  1st  of  Nov., 
1825,  Judge  Forman  was  selected  by  the  citizens  of  Onondaga 
County,  and  as  President  of  the  village  of  Syracuse,  to  ad¬ 
dress  Governor  Clinton  and  suite,  on  their  first  passage  down 
the  canal,  accompanied  by  various  county  committees  along 
the  line.  He  had  but  three  hours  to  prepare  his  address,  and 
it  thus  appears  in  the  Syracuse  Gazette  of  Nov.  2,  1825. — 
“  Gentlemen  :  The  roar  of  cannon  rolling  from  Lake  Erie  to 
the  ocean,  and  reverberated  from  the  ocean  to  the  lakes,  has 
announced  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and  you  are  this 
day  witnesses,  bearing  the  waters  of  the  lakes  on  the  unbroken 
bosom  of  the  canal,  to  be  mingled  with  the  ocean,  that  the 
splendid  hopes  of  our  State  are  realized.  The  continued  fete 
which  has  attended  your  boats,  evinces  how  dear  it  was,  to  the 


*  Hosack,  page  350. 


SYRACUSE— JOSHUA  FORMAN. 


73 


hearts  of  our  citizens.  It  is  truly  a  prOucl  day  for  the  State 
of  New-York.  No  one  is  present  who  has  the  interest  of  the 
State  at  heart,  who  does  not  exult  at  the  completion  of  a 
work  fraught  with  such  important  benefits,  and  no  man  with 
an  American  heart,  that  does  not  swell  with  pride  that  he  is 
a  citizen  of  the  country  which  has  accomplished  the  greatest 
work  of  the  age,  and  which  has  filled  Europe  with  admiration 
of  the  American  character.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1817,  it 
was  begun,  and  it  is  now  accomplished.  Not  by  the  labor  of 
abject  slaves  and  vassals,  but  by  the  energies  of  freemen,  and 
in  a  period  unprecedently  short,  by  the  voluntary  efforts  of 
its  freemen  governed  by  the  wisdom  of  its  statesmen.  This, 
however,  is  but  one  of  the  many  benefits  derived  from  our  free 
institutions,  and  which  marks  a  new  era  in  the  history  of 
man — the  example  of  a  nation  whose  whole  physical  power  and 
intelligence  are  employed  to  advance  the  improvement,  comfort 
and  happiness,  of  the  people.  To  what  extent  this  course  of 
improvement  may  be  carried,  it  is  impossible  for  any  mere 
man  to  conjecture  ;  but  no  reasonable  man  can  doubt,  that  it 
will  continue  its  progress,  until  our  wide  and  fertile  territory 
shall  be  filled  with  a  more  dense,  intelligent  and  happy  peo¬ 
ple  than  the  sun  shines  upon  in  the  wide  circuit  of  the  globe. 
It  has  long  been  the  subject  of  fearful  apprehension,  to  the 
patriots  of  the  Atlantic  States  that  the  remote  interior  situa¬ 
tion  of  our  western  country  (for  want  of  proper  stimuli  to  in¬ 
dustry  and  free  intercourse,  with  the  rest  of  the  world)  would 
be  filled  with  a  semi-barbarous  population,  uncongenial  with 
their  Atlantic  neighbors.  But  the  introduction  of  steamboats 
on  our  lakes  and  running  rivers,  and  canals  to  connect  the 
waters  which  nature  has  disjoined,  (in  both  which  this  State 
has  taken  the  lead,  and  its  example  has  now  become  general,) 
have  broken  down  the  old  barriers  of  nature,  and  promise  the 
wide  spread  regions  of  the  west  all  the  blessings  of  a  sea-board 
district.  But  while  we  contemplate  the  advantages  of  this 
work,  as  a  source  of  revenue  to  the  State,  and  of  wealth  and 
comfort  to  our  citizens,  let  us  never  forget  the  means  by  which 
it  has  been  accomplished  ;  and  after  rendering  thanks  to  the 


74 


ONONDAGA. 


All-Wise  Disposer  of  events,  who  has  by  his  own  means  and 
for  his  own  purposes  brought  about  this  great  work,  we 
would  render  our  thanks,  to  all  citizens  and  statesmen,  who 
have  in  and  out  of  the  Legislature  sustained  the  measure  from 
its  first  conception  to  its  present  final  consummation.  To  the 
commissioners  who  superintended  the  work,  the  board  of  na¬ 
tive  engineers,  (a  native  treasure  unknown  till  called  for  by 
the  occasion,)  and  especially  to  his  Excellency,  the  Governor, 
whose  early  and  decided  support  of  the  measure,  fearlessly 
throwing  his  character  and  influence  into  the  scale,  turned  the 
poising  beam  and  produced  the  first  canal  appropriation,  and 
by  his  talents  and  exertions  kept  public  opinion  steady  to  the 
point.  Without  his  efforts  in  that  crisis,  the  canal  project 
might  still  have  been  a  splendid  vision — gazed  upon  by  the  be¬ 
nevolent  patriot,  but  left  by  cold  calumniators  to  be  realized 
by  some  future  generation.  At  that  time,  all  admitted  that 
there  was  a  high  responsibility  resting  on  you,  and  had  it  fail¬ 
ed,  you  must  have  largely  borne  the  blame.  It  has  succeeded, 
and  we  will  not  withhold  from  you  your  due  meed  of  praise. 

Gentlemen,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Syracuse,  and  the 
county  of  Onondaga,  here  assembled,  I  congratulate  you  on 
this  occasion.  Our  village  is  the  offspring  of  the  canal,  and 
with  the  county  must  partake  largely  of  its  blessings.  We 
were  most  ungrateful  if  we  did  not  most  cordially  join  in  this 
great  state  celebration.” 

Judge  Forman  having  concluded  his  address,  Governor 
Clinton  replied  in  a  very  happy  and  appropriate  manner;  in 
the  course  of  which  he  adverted  to  the  important  views  pre¬ 
sented  in  the  address,  and  observed  that  they  were  such  as  he 
had  expected  from  an  individual  who  had  introduced  the  first 
legislative  measures  relative  to  the  canals,  and  had  devoted 
much  thought  and  reflection  to  the  subject.  Ilis  Excellency 
also  adverted  to  the  prosperous  condition  of  Syracuse,  and  of 
the  county,  and  concluded  by  expressing  his  congratulations 
on  the  final  accomplishment  of  this  great  work. 

As  one  of  the  committee  from  Syracuse,  Judge  Forman  at¬ 
tended  the  ceremony  of  mingling  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie 


S  Y  R  A  C  U  S  E— J  OSHUA  FORMAN. 


75 


with  those  of  the  Ocean,  off  Sandy  Hook.  He  had  now  pas¬ 
sed  through  all  the  stages  in  the  progress  of  the  great  work, 
from  its  first  announcement  in  the  Legislature,  to  its  final  con¬ 
summation  in  uniting  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  with  the  At¬ 
lantic  Ocean.  His  efforts  in  this  great  undertaking  will  ever 
be  an  enduring  monument  of  his  wisdom,  and  to  future  gene 
rations  will  his  fame  extend. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Judge  Forman  had  employed 
all  his  time  and  talents  upon  this  single  object.  As  a  lawyer, 
he  became  distinguished  ;  and,  on  account  of  his  integrity 
and  legal  acquirements,  was  appointed  First  Judge  of  Onon¬ 
daga  County  Common  Pleas,  in  1813.  He  filled  the  station 
with  credit  and  ability  for  ten  years ;  in  fact,  he  elevated  the 
character  of  this  tribunal  to  the  pitch,  which  gained  for  it  the 
high  reputation  which  it  has  since  enjoyed. 

He  took  an  early  and  active  interest  in  the  establishment 
of  churches  in  this  county.  “  The  First  Onondaga  Religious 
Society,”  at  Onondaga  Hill,  in  1806,  and  the  “Onondaga 
Hollow  Religious  Society,”  in  1809,  owe  their  early  organi¬ 
zation  mainly  to  his  efforts.  The  Onondaga  Academy,  found¬ 
ed  in  1814,  owes  its  existence  to  the  interest  he  manifested  in 
the  cause  of  education,  and  to  his  fostering  care.  He  was 
also  one  of  the  most  active  in  promoting  the  organization  of 
the  first  Presbyterian  society  in  Syracuse,  in  1824,  and  was 
one  of  its  first  Trustees. 

In  1807,  he  took  a  lease  of  the  Surveyor  General  for  a 
term  of  years,  of  a  part  of  the  reservation  lands  at  Oswego 
Falls,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  grist  mill  in  that  wilder¬ 
ness  country,  at  which  time  not  a  horse  was  owned  by  an  in¬ 
habitant  between  Salina  and  Oswego.  This  was  the  first  mill 
erected  on  the  Oswego  river  in  modern  times,  and  it  greatly 
facilitated  the  settlement  of  that  region. 

In  1808,  he  founded  the  celebrated  Plaster  Company  of 
Camillus,  for  the  purpose  of  more  effectually  working  the  ex¬ 
tensive  beds  in  that  town.  (See  Camillus.)  In  1813,  Judge 
Forman  built  the  canal  and  excavated  ground,  for  the  pond 


76 


ONONDAGA. 


at  Onondaga  Hollow,  where  he  erected  a  grist  mill,  which  was 
then  considered  one  of  the  best  in  the  county. 

In  1817,  while  there  was  yet  a  strong  opposition  to  the  Erie 
Canal,  and  its  friends  were  in  the  greatest  anxiety,  and  even 
doubt  as  to  the  final  result,  Judge  Forman  furnished  a  series 
of  articles,  which  were  published  in  the  Onondaga  Register, 
signed  X,  in  defense  of  the  work.  These  papers  were  writ¬ 
ten  with  great  ability,  and  are  said  by  competent  judges,  to 
be  inferior  to  none  that  had  been  written  upon  that  subject. 

In  1821,  Judge  Forman  obtained  the  passage  of  a  law, 
(drawn  by  his  own  hand,)  authorizing  the  lowering  of  Onon¬ 
daga  Lake,  and  subsequently  the  lake  was  lowered  about 
two  feet.  The  great  difficulty  had  been  caused  by  the  high 
water  in  the  Seneca  River,  rising  to  a  certain  height,  which 
obstructed  the  channel  of  the  Onondaga  outlet ;  and  such 
was  the  nature  of  the  obstructions,  arising  from  the  narrow¬ 
ness  and  crookedness  of  the  passage,  that  when  the  Seneca 
River  subsided  to  its  proper  limits,  the  water  of  Onondaga 
Lake  was  retained,  and  in  rainy  seasons  did  not  fall  so  as  to 
make  dry  ground  around  it,  till  late  in  summer,  which  was  the 
cause  of  much  inconvenience  to  the  people  living  in  the  vi¬ 
cinity  of  the  lake.  To  obviate  this,  the  lake  was  lowered, 
and  by  it  the  lands  around  Salina  and  Syracuse  were  im¬ 
proved,  leaving  bare  a  beach  about  the  lake,  in  some  places 
of  several  rods  in  width.  For  the  cause  of  philanthropy  and 
humanity,  this  was  a  most  important  measure.  The  country 
around  became  more  healthful,  and  although  previously  in¬ 
fested  with  a  fatal  miasma  in  August  and  September,  from 
that  time  to  this,  the  country  about  Syracuse  and  Salina,  has 
been  considered  as  healthy  as  any  other  section  in  the  State. 

In  1822,  Judge  Forman  procured  the  passage  of  a  law 
authorizing  the  erection  of  fixtures  for  the  purpose  of  manu¬ 
facturing  coarse  salt  by  solar  evaporation,  with  a  three  cent 
per  bushel  bounty  on  salt  so  manufactured,  for  a  given  num¬ 
ber  of  years.  He  went  to  New  Bedford,  in  company  with 
Isaiah  Townsend,  Esq.,  to  make  inquiries  relative  to  solar  evap¬ 
oration  of  salt  water,  from  persons  interested  in  this  mode  of 


S Y  R  A  C  U  S  E— J  OSHUA  FORMAN. 


77 


manufacturing  salt  from  sea-water  on  Cape  Cod.  They  en¬ 
gaged  Mr.  Stephen  Smith,  to  come  on  to  Syracuse  with  them, 
to  manage  the  salt  fields,  he  having  had  experience  in  this 
mode  of  manufacture.  Mr.  Smith  was  appointed  agent  of 
the  Onondaga  Company,  and  Judge  Forman  of  the  Syracuse 
Company,  and  these  two  proceeded  to  make  the  necessary 
erections  for  the  manufacture  of  coarse  salt. 

At  this  time  the  Salina  Canal  terminated  at  the  mill  on  the 
southern  border  of  the  village  of  Salina,  and  there  was  no 
water  to  be  had,  available  for  purposes  of  carrying  machinery 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  principal  salt  spring.  With 
a  view  of  accomplishing  this  object,  Judge  Forman  accompa¬ 
nied  Governor  Clinton  to  Salina,  pointed  out  the  ground,  and 
proposed  to  have  the  Salina  Canal  extended  so  as  to  commu¬ 
nicate  with  Onondaga  Lake,  and  the  following  year  this  plan 
was  carried  out,  the  canal  was  continued  to  the  lake,  and  ar¬ 
rangements  made  for  the  erection  of  pump  works.  This  grand 
improvement  in  the  elevation  of  brine,  was  made  at  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  the  Syracuse  and  Onondaga  Salt  Companies,  under 
the  direction  of  Judge  Forman.  Afterwards  the  State  bought 
the  fixtures,  aqueducts,  &c.,  as  they  had  reserved  the  right  to 
do.  To  no  individual  so  much  as  to  Judge  Forman,  are  we 
indebted  for  a  modification  of  our  salt  laws,  and  for  the  sub¬ 
stitution  of  water  power,  for  hand  labor,  in  the  elevation  of 
brine,  for  the  reservoirs,  and  all  the  apparatus  connected  with 
those  improvements,  and  for  the  introduction  of  the  manufac¬ 
ture  of  coarse  salt  by  solar  heat.  These  were  measures  in 
which  the  public  were  deeply  interested,  which  particularly 
absorbed  his  attention,  and  which  have  greatly  improved  and 
increased  the  manufacture  of  salt  in  the  town  of  Salina. 

Judge  Forman  was  emphatically  the  founder  of  the  city 
of  Syracuse.  lie  came  to  this  place  when  there  was  but  a 
small  clearing  south  of  the  canal,  and  lived  in  a  house  which 
stood  in  the  center  of  Clinton  street ;  since  removed.  When 
he  came  to  Syracuse  it  was  deemed  a  doubtful  and  hazardous 
enterprise.  His  friends  earnestly  desired  him  to  withdraw. 
But  at  no  time  did  his  courage,  energy  or  faith,  fail  him.  He 


78 


ONONDAGA. 


foresaw  and  insisted,  that  it  must  eventually  become  a  great 
and  flourishing  inland  town,  and  in  spite  of  much  determined 
opposition,  and  amidst  a  variety  of  obstacles  and  almost  every 
species  of  embarrassment,  he  persisted  in  his  efforts,  till  he 
had  laid  broad  and  deep  the  foundations  of  this  flourishing 
city. 

The  most  prominent  obstacles  were  found  in  the  rival  villa¬ 
ges  in  the  vicinity,  which  were  likely  to  be  affected  by  the 
building  up  of  a  larger  one  in  their  midst,  and  in  the  extensive 
swamps  and  marshes  which  every  where  in  this  region  prevail¬ 
ed,  and  in  the  consequent  unhealthiness  of  the  locality. 

His  work  being  accomplished,  circumstances  required  his  re¬ 
moval  from  this  scene  of  his  usefulness,  and  the  theatre  of  his 
labors.  In  1826,  he  removed  to  New  Jersey,  near  New  Bruns¬ 
wick,  where  he  superintended  the  opening  and  working  of  a 
copper  mine,  which  had  been  wrought  to  some  extent  prior  to 
and  during  the  Revolution.  Soon  after  his  departure  from 
Syracuse,  the  State  of  New-York  became  sadly  convulsed  and 
deranged  in  its  financial  affairs.  Our  banking  system  was  ex¬ 
tremely  defective — reform  was  demanded  by  an  abused  and 
outraged  community.  All  saw  and  admitted  the  evil,  but  no 
one  was  prepared  with  a  remedy.  At  this  crisis,  Judge  For¬ 
man  came  forward  with  a  plan  for  relief,  and  upon  the  invita¬ 
tion  of  Governor  Van  Buren  he  visited  Albany,  and  submit¬ 
ted  his  plan  to  a  Committee  of  the  Legislature  then  in  session. 
At  the  suggestion  of  the  Governor,  he  drew  up  the  bill  which 
subsequently  became  a  law,  and  is  known  as  the  Safety  Fund 
Act,  the  great  objects  of  which  were,  on  the  one  hand,  to  give 
currency  and  character  to  our  circulation,  and  on  the  other, 
to  protect  the  bill-holder.  At  the  special  request  of  Gover¬ 
nor  Van  Buren,  Judge  Forman  spent  most  of  the  winter  in 
attendance  on  the  Legislature,  in  perfecting  the  details  of  this 
important  act. 

This  plan  operated  well  for  many  years,  and  the  Safety 
Fund  Banks  of  this  State  sustained  themselves  under  some  of 
the  severest  and  heaviest  revulsions,  which  the  monied  insti¬ 
tutions  of  the  country  have  ever  experienced.  And  it  may 


SYRACUSE— JOSHUA  FORMAN. 


79 


be  safely  affirmed  that  no  system  in  practice  on  this  side  the 
Atlantic,  has  better  stood  the  test  of  experience,  or  secured  so 
extensively  the  popular  confidence  as  this.  The  Safety  Fund 
system  was  exclusively  the  plan  of  Judge  Forman,  and  al¬ 
though  modifications  have  since  been  made,  and  others  pro¬ 
jected,  in  our  banking  laws,  it  may  be  questioned  whether  the 
system  has  been  materially  improved. 

In  1829-30,  Judge  Forman  bought  of  the  government  of 
the  State  of  North  Carolina  an  extensive  tract  of  land,  con¬ 
sisting  of  some  three  hundred  thousand  acres,  in  Rutherford- 
ton  County.  He  took  up  his  residence  at  the  village  of  Ruth- 
erfordton,  greatly  extended  its  boundaries,  established  a 
newspaper  press,  and  was  considered  the  most  enterprising  in¬ 
dividual  in  that  part  of  the  State  ;  became  quite  distinguished 
as  a  public  man,  and  noted  for  his  exertions  to  elevate  the 
character,  and  improve  the  mental  and  moral  condition  of  the 
inhabitants  in  that  region. 

In  1831,  after  an  absence  of  about  five  years,  Judge  For¬ 
man  visited  Onondaga.  He  was  every  where  received  with 
unqualified  demonstrations  of  joy  and  respect,  and  every  voice 
cheered  him  as  the  founder  of  a  city,  and  a  benefactor  of 
mankind.  The  citizens  of  Syracuse,  through  their  commit¬ 
tee  appointed  for  that  purpose,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Stephen 
Smith,  Harvey  Baldwin,  Amos  P.  Granger,  L.  H.  Redfield, 
Henry  Newton,  John  Wilkinson,  and  Moses  D.  Burnet,  avail¬ 
ed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  present  to  him  a  valuable 
piece  of  silver  plate  as  a  tribute  of  the  high  respect  and  es¬ 
teem  which  was  entertained  for  his  talents  and  character,  and 
in  consideration  of  his  devotedness  to  their  interests,  in  the 
early  settlement  of  the  village.  The  plate  is  in  form  of  a 
pitcher,  and  bears  this  inscription  : 

A  Tribute  of  Respect 

Presented  by  the 
Citizens  of  Syracuse 
to  the 

Honorable  Joshua  Forman, 

Founder  of  that  Village. 


SYRACUSE. 


1831. 


80 


ONONDAGA. 


At  the  ceremony  of  presenting  the  plate,  mutual  addresses 
were  delivered ;  on  the  one  hand,  highly  expressive  of  the 
affection  and  regard  of  a  whole  community,  to  a  distinguished 
individual,  who  had  toiled  and  exhausted  his  more  vigorous 
energies  for  their  welfare ;  and  on  the  other,  the  acknowledg¬ 
ment  of  past  favors  at  the  hands  of  his  fellow-citizens  and  co¬ 
adjutors,  thankful  that  he  had  been  the  humble  instrument  of 
contributing  to  their  prosperity,  hoping  that  the  bright  visions 
of  the  future  importance  of  Syracuse,  which  he  had  so  long 
entertained,  might  be  realized,  he  bade  her  citizens  an  affec¬ 
tionate  farewell. 

On  his  return  to  his  home,  in  North  Carolina,  Judge  For- 
<man  took  with  him  this  token  of  the  gratitude  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  and  it  remained  with  him  till  the  year  1845,  when  he 
presented  it  to  his  daughter,  the  lady  of  Gen.  E.  W.  Leaven¬ 
worth,  of  Syracuse,  then  on  a  visit  to  her  father  who  was 
in  feeble  health,  remarking,  that  it  constituted  a  part  of 
the  history  of  Syracuse,  and  that  after  his  death  there  it 
should  remain. 

While  his,  health  permitted,  Judge  Forman’s  business  was 
principally  that  of  making  sales  of  the  lands  he  had  purchased 
in  North  Carolina. 

In  1846,  this  venerable  man  re-visited  his  former  friends 
and  acquaintances  of  his  earlier  years,  and  found  in  each  full 
heart  an  honest  welcome.  To  all  it  was  apparent  that  the  ad¬ 
vances  of  time  had  made  sad  inroads  upon  his  physical  and 
mental  powers.  Seventy  winters  had  shed  their  snows  upon 
his  devoted  head.  He  had  heard  much  of  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  his  cherished  city,  and  of  his  beloved  Ononda¬ 
ga.  He  had  fixed  his  heart  upon  again  treading  the  soil  of 
his  revered  county.  He  had  earnestly  desired  to  return  to 
the  land  of  his  fathers,  before  his  course  on  earth  should  be 
closed,  to  witness  the  result  of  those  wonderful  improvements 
in  the  accomplishment  of  which,  he  had  taken  so  deep  an  in¬ 
terest,  and  so  active  a  part,  and  to  see  the  fulfilment  of  those 
predictions  which  had  sometimes  acquired  for  him  the  name 
of  avisionary  projector  and  enthusiast,  and  once  again  for  the 


S  Y  R  A  C  U  S  E— J  QSHUA  FORMAN. 


81 


last  time  to  behold  in  the  body,  the  few  surviving  friends  of 
his  earlier  years.  He  could  not  bid  adieu  to  the  world  in 
peace,  till  this  last  and  greatest  of  his  earthly  wishes  should 
be  gratified. 

On  this  occasion  a  public  dinner  was  tendered  to  him,  by  P. 
N.  Rust,  Esq.,  of  the  Syracuse  House.  A  large  number  of 
the  most  distinguished  gentlemen  of  the  county  were  present, 
together  with  the  few  gray-headed  pioneers,  who  still  lingered 
in  the  land.  Nearly  all  the  company  were  the  personal  friends 
of  Judge  Forman,  many  of  them  having  been  sharers  or  at¬ 
tentive  observers  of  his  early  and  patriotic  public  efforts,  for 
the  social,  mental  and  moral  improvement  of  this  county.  Few 
indeed  are  the  instances,  where  an  individual,  mantled  in  the 
hoary  locks  of  age,  after  an  absence  of  twenty  years,  returns 
to  the  scenes  of  his  primitive  usefulness,  Avith  so  many  demon¬ 
strations,  on  the  part  of  friends  and  former  neighbors,  of  joy 
and  thankfulness,  as  in  the  one  before  us.  It  was  also  a  sea¬ 
son  of  peculiar  gratification  to  him.  Here  he  beheld  the  re¬ 
sults  of  his  labors  in  early  active  manhood.  Here  he  beheld 
the  progress  of  a  thriving  town  founded  by  his  fostering  hand. 
Here  he  received  the  warm  greetings  of  the  friends  of  his 
early  life,  and  here  he  met  with  them,  to  bid  them  a  kind,  af¬ 
fectionate  and  last  adieu. 

Moses  D.  Burnet,  Esq.,  presided  on  this  very  interesting 
occasion.  A  formal  address  of  congratulation,  on  account  of 
the  great  success  of  his  early  labors,  and  the  remarkable  ful¬ 
filment  of  his  hopes  and  predictions,  was  made  by  the  Hon. 
Harvey  Baldwin,  Avhicli  Avas  replied  to,  in  behalf  of  Judge 
Forman,  (he  being  then  unable  to  articulate  distinctly,  on  ac¬ 
count  of  a  paralyticshock,)  by  his  son-in-laAV,  E.  W.  Leaven- 
Avorth,  Esq. 

Gen.  Amos  I’.  Granger,  Hon.  George  Geddes,  LeAvis  H. 
Redfield,  Esq.,  and  several  other  gentlemen  of  note,  address¬ 
ed  the  party  in  a  very  felicitous  manner. 

The  proceedings  of  this  very  interesting  meeting  may  be 
found  in  the  Onondaga  Democrat  of  the  3d  of  Oct.,  1846,  and 
other  city  papers  of  that  date. 

nC 


82 


ONONDAGA. 


From  Syracuse,  Judge  Forman  retired  to  his  mountain 
home,  in  the  milder  climes  of  the  sunny  South,  carrying  with 
him  the  most  vivid  recollections  of  the  kindness  and  hospitali¬ 
ty  of  his  friends ;  looking  back  upon  a  well  spent  life,  much 
of  which  was  devoted  to  the  service  of  his  country,  without 
resrret :  and  forward,  without  a  fear  to  the  hour  when  he  will 
be  called  away  from  the  scenes  of  society  and  earth. 

Judge  Forman  is  still  living,  (1849,)  at  his  home  in  North 
Carolina,  having  bid  adieu  to  the  cares  and  business  occupa¬ 
tions  of  life. 

The  character  of  this  distinguished  man  may  be  summed  up 
in  a  very  few  words.  Ilis  mind  was  of  no  ordinary  cast,  and 
whether  we  view  him  as  a  fellow-citizen,  a  neighbor,  a  legisla¬ 
tor,  a  jurist,  a  judge,  or  as  a  man,  we  find  nothing  that  we 
cannot  respect  and  admire.  Full  of  life  and  energy  himself, 
he  infused  with  uncommon  facility  the  same  spirit  into  others, 
and  wherever  he  was  found,  in  him  was  the  master  spirit  of 
every  plan.  He  possessed  a  mind  of  uncommon  activity,  never 
wearying  with  the  multiplicity  of  his  labors  and  cares;  it  vyras 
stored  with  an  unusual  variety  of  knowledge,  extending  far 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  professional  pursuits,  and  he  pos¬ 
sessed  a  rare  felicity  in  the  communication  of  this  knowledge 
to  others.  This  fund  of  solid  and  general  information,  upon 
every  variety  of  topic,  and  his  forcible  and  happy  manner  of 
communication,  joined  with  the  most  social  and  cheerful  dis¬ 
position,  rendered  him  on  all  occasions  a  most  agreeable  and 
interesting  gentleman  in  conversation,  and  the  delight  of  every 
circle  in  which  he  moved.  He  greatly  excelled  in  the  clear 
perceptions  of  the  results  of  proposed  measuVes  of  public  im¬ 
provement,  and  in  a  capacity  to  present  them  forcibly  to  oth¬ 
ers,  carrying  along  with  him  individuals,  communities  and  pub¬ 
lic  assemblies,  by  his  easy  flowing  language,  and  a  manner  at 
once  most  clear,  captivating  and  persuasive.  His  whole  life 
was  characterized  by  the  most  public  spirited  efforts  for  the 
general  good,  and  the  most  disinterested  benevolence, — al¬ 
ways  comparatively  forgetful  of  his  own  private  interest,  in  his 
zeal  for  the  accomplishment  of  works  of  public  utility.  Through 


S  Y  R  A  C  U  S  E— J  OSHUA  FORMAN. 


83 


the  long  period  of  his  stirring  and  eventful  life,  he  sustained 
a  character  without  stain  and  without  reproach,  and  now  stand¬ 
ing  on  the  borders  of  the  grave,  is  most  justly  entitled  to  the 
admiration  and  gratitude  of  his  countrymen. 

It  was  the  happiness  of  the  author,  in  his  youthful  days,  to 
spend  several  months  in  the  family  of  Judge  Forman,  at  On¬ 
ondaga  Hollow,  and  he  takes  pleasure  in  this  opportunity  of 
testifying  to  his  domestic  virtues  and  private  worth. 

City  of  Syracuse. — The  ground  upon  which  the  city  of 
Syracuse  now  stands,  was  originally  a  part  of  the  Salt  Springs 
Reservation,  and  at  the  time  the  county  was  organized,  in 
1794,  with  all  that  part  of  the  reservation  east  of  Onondaga 
Creek  and  Lake,  was  included  in  the  town  of  Manlius. 

The  first  locality  which  received  a  name  within  the  limits 
of  the  present  city  of  Syracuse,  was  called  Webster’s  Land¬ 
ing,  from  Ephraim  Webster,  who  kept  a  few  goods  for  the 
Indian  trade,  on  the  bank  of  the  creek,  a  little  south  of  its 
outlet.  Mr.  Webster  was  succeeded  by  Benjamin  Newkirk, 
in  1793;  at  which  time,  there  was  quite  a  number  of  In¬ 
dian  cabins,  ranging  along  the  west  bank  of  the  creek,  enough 
to  form  a  respectable  Indian  village.  The  dark,  gloomy  and 
almost  impenetrable  swamp,  now  occupied  by  the  city,  was 
then  a  favorite  resort  for  wolves,  bears,  wild-cats,  mud-turtles, 
and  swamp  rattlesnakes.  The  western  portion  of  the  valley 
about  Syracuse,  was  originally  timbered  with  hemlock,  birch 
and  soft  maple  ;  the  eastern  portion  with  cedar  and  pine. 

Near  the  west  bank  of  the  creek,  was  an  extensive  Indian 
burying-ground,  where  skeletons  have  frequently  been  disin¬ 
terred,  and  are  occasionaly  to  this  day — two  having  been  ex¬ 
humed  during  the  past  year.  At  the  time  the  west  locks 
were  constructed  at  Syracuse,  in  1819,  over  one  hundred  were 
taken  up.  In  excavating  the  canal  for  the  red  mill,  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  creek,  several  skeletons  were  found.  In 
1843,  one  of  extraordinary  size  was  disinterred  ;  one  of  the 
lower  bones  of  the  leg  being  set  beside  the  limb  of  a  tall  man, 
reached  far  above  his  knee.  The  skull  was  comparatively 


84 


ONONDAGA. 


large,  and  the  jaws  were  surrounded  with  a  full  set  of  double 
teeth,  all  around.  They  were  perfectly  sound,  covered  with 
a  beautiful  enamel  of  the  most  perfect  whiteness.  Such  oc¬ 
currences  are  not  uncommon,  at  the  several  Indian  burying 
grounds  throughout  the  county.  In  one  grave  was  found  a 
large  skeleton,  on  each  side  of  which  was  a  gun,  with  flints 
in  the  locks,  having  the  appearance  of  being  loaded  at  the 
time  they  were  buried.  In  this  grave  was  also  a  brass  kettle, 
two  pairs  of  shears,  three  razors,  a  tomahawk,  and  a  number 
of  bullets.  A  large  pine  tree  had  recently  been  cut,  which 
had  grown  over  the  grave.  In  1842,  Mr.  Henry  Young  dis¬ 
covered  a  paint  box,  seven  inches  square,  around  which  clay 
and  gravel  had  firmly  cemented,  some  four  inches  in  thick¬ 
ness  ;  with  it  was  a  brush.  The  box  contained  a  red  pig¬ 
ment,  which  from  the  description,  must  have  been  vermilion. 
The  gravel  had  become  firmly  attached,  and  a  portion  of  the 
box  petrified.  In  1808,  while  Mr.  Young  and  others  were  cut¬ 
ting  a  large  hemlock  tree,  over  four  feet  in  diameter,  for  hew- 
ing-timber,  after  cutting  in  about  a  foot  and  a  half,  they 
found  near  a  hundred  bullets,  which  had  been  deposited  in  a 
box,  cut  in  the  tree.  The  number  of  concentric  circles  from 
the  bark  to  the  bullets,  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  two  ;  which, 
taken  from  1808,  leaves  the  time  at  which  they  were  deposi¬ 
ted,  1656,  at  which  time  the  French  had  established  colonies 
and  missionaries  at  Onondaga. 

In  1795,  a  feud  broke  out  between  a  clan  of  the  Ononda- 
gas  and  another  of  the  Cayugas,  which  raged  violently  for 
a  long  period,  during  which,  at  sundry  times,  several  indi¬ 
viduals  of  both  nations  were  killed.  The  last  one  who  fell 
in  this  deadly  strife,  was  an  Onondaga,  called  Handsome 
Harry.  He  had  been  followed  by  a  party  of  Cayugas,  from 
Tuscarora  and  back,  and  was  overtaken  at  the  sand  bank 
now  OAvned  by  Mr.  Henry  Young,  not  far  from  the  Syracuse 
pump  house.  When  he  found  his  pursuers  hard  upon  him, 
he  made  no  effort  to  escape,  but  quietly  kneeled  down,  bared 
his  bosom,  and  was  instantly  shot  dead  with  an  arrow.  He 
was  counted  the  handsomest  man  in  the  nation.  He  was  bu- 


SYRACUSE. 


85 


ried  on  the  spot  where  he  fell,  and -two  favorite  sisters  for  a 
a  long  time  daily  visited  the  spot,  and  mourned  the  death  of 
their  brother  with  the  deepest  sorrow. 

In  1804,  an  act  was  passed  directing  the  sale  of  two  hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  of  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation, 
the  avails  of  which  were  to  be  expended  in  laying  out  and 
improving  a  road  running  from  lot  forty-nine,  Manlius,  to 
lot  thirty-eight,  Onondaga,  east  and  west  through  the  reser¬ 
vation.  Simeon  De  Witt,  the  Surveyor  General,  directed 
James  Geddes,  Esq.,  to  locate  and  lay  out  the  land,  and  he 
did  so.  The  land  was  advertised  for  sale,  with  the  announce¬ 
ment  that  upon  it  was  a  good  mill  site.  Mr.  Geddes  having 
ascertained  that  fact,  laid  out  the  land  in  reference  to  it. 
The  lot  was  laid  out  in  rather  an  irregular  form,*  and  the 
reason  assigned  for  so  doing,  was  that  as  much  dry  land  might 
be  secured  as  possible.  But  notwithstanding  all  the  precaution 
of  Mr.  Geddes,  he  found  it  impossible  to  locate  the  ground 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  avoid  entirely  the  swamp,  some  con¬ 
siderable  portion  of  which  was  covered  with  water  most  of 
the  year ;  a  doleful  place  indeed,  for  the  site  of  a  future  city. 

While  the  subject  of  this  land  sale  was  under  discussion, 
certain  persons  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  and  at  Salina,  denied 
the  possibility  of  a  water  power,  and  so  influenced  the  Sur¬ 
veyor  General,  that  he  put  a  spirit  level  into  his  gig  and  came 
out  from  Albany,  expressly  to  examine  the  premises.  He, 
assisted  by  Mr.  Geddes,  took  a  level  of  the  creek,  and  found 
the  power  even  better  than  had  been  represented,  as  made 
by  the  imperfect  instrument  Mr.  G.  had  used  in  taking  the 
first  level. 

It  is  sometimes  curious  to  see  how  simple  circumstances  and 
events,  trifling  in  themselves,  will  operate  to  direct  a  man’s 
whole  life.  The  knowledge  acquired  by  Mr.  Geddes,  in  the 
use  of  this  instrument  in  leveling  this  mill  power,  was  the  in¬ 
citing  cause  by  which  he  became  qualified  to  make  the  survey 
and  levels  on  the  Erie  Canal. 


*  See  old  Map  of  Syracuse  at  the  County  Cleric's  office. 


86 


ONONDAGA. 


The  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  laid  out  and  advertized,  were 
sold  at  auction  in  June,  1804,  and  bid  off  by  Mr.  Abraham  Wal¬ 
ton,  for  the  sum  of  six  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty  dollars, 
or  about  twenty-six  dollars  twenty  cents  per  acre,*  and  'the  lot 
was  thereafter  called  the  Walton  Tract. 

The  commissioners  to  receive  and  disburse  the  money  aris¬ 
ing  from  the  sale  of  this  tract,  were  James  Geddes,  Moses 
Carpenter  and  John  Young.  Mr.  Geddes  was  appointed  trea¬ 
surer,  and  being  absent  from  home  during  the  construction  of 
the  road,  Mrs.  Geddes  became  the  acting  treasurer,  and  paid 
out  the  money,  upon  the  order  of  the  individual  who  built  it. 
Although  the  avails  of  this  sale  were  to  be  appropriated  to¬ 
wards  the  laying  out  and  improving  a  road,  there  was  a  stipu¬ 
lation  in  the  terms  of  sale,  that  the  purchaser  should,  within 
a  specified  time,  erect  or  cause  to  be  erected  a  suitable  build¬ 
ing  for  a  tavern,  or  house  of  entertainment,  for  the  accommo¬ 
dation  of  travelers.  The  same  season,  Mr.  Walton  laid  out 
lots  for  a  village,  and,  agreeably  to  the  stipulation,  sold  to 
Henry  Bogardus,  for  the  consideration  of  three  hundred  dol¬ 
lars,  half  an  acre  of  ground,  binding  him,  within  a  reasonable 
time  to  erect  a  suitable  house  for  a  tavern,  and  to  keep  or 
cause  one  to  be  kept.  His  house  was  erected  in  1806.  It 
was  two  stories  high,  and  thirty-five  by  forty-five  feet  on  the 
ground,  and  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  Empire  Block. 
Mr.  Bogardus  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Burlingham,  in  1808 ; 
Joseph  Langdon,  in  1810;  James  Ingalls,  in  1812  ;  and  by 
Sterling  Cossit,  in  1815. 

At  the  time  of  this  laying  out  of  a  village,  it  was  called, 
u  South  Salina ,”  and  the  tavern  the  u  South  Salina  Hotel.” 
A  Mr.  Merrill  erected  a  small  frame  house  the  same  year  that 
Mr.  Bogardus  built  his  hotel,  nearly  opposite,  east,  but  there 
was  so  much  sickness  in  the  neighborhood,  that  he  became  dis¬ 
couraged,  pulled  it  down  and  carried  it  away.  Before  this 
purchase  was  made  by  Mr.  Walton,  several  persons  had  erect¬ 
ed  log  cabins  in  the  vicinity  of  the  spot  where  Mr.  Bogardus 


*MS.  of  Judge  James  Geddes. 


SYRACUSE. 


87 


put  up  his  hotel.  The  names  given  of  some  of  them  are,  Mr. 
Hopkins,  in  1797  ;  Mr.  Butler,  in  1799.  These  were  located 
a  little  west  of  the  Oswego  bridge,  north  of  General  Gran¬ 
ger’s  residence,  near  a  spring  of  fresh  water. 

In  the  spring  of  1800,  Mr.  Calvin  Jackson  came  to  this 
place,  who  lived  in  a  small  log  house  a  little  south  of  where 
the  rail-road  crosses  Genesee  street,  and  there  was  born  Albi¬ 
on  Jackson,  on  the  28th  of  December,  1800,  supposed  to  be 
the  first  white  child  born  within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Syra¬ 
cuse,  out  of  that  part  heretofore  known  as  Salina.  Mr.  Jack- 
son  is  still  living,  near  the  Indian  Reservation,  and  is  a  grand¬ 
son  of*  Jeremiah  Jackson.  William  Lee  and  Aaron  Cole, 
blacksmiths,  opened  a  shop  in  1805.  In  1805,  Amos  Stanton, 
father  of  Rufus  Stanton,  and  Mrs.  Wales,  now  residents  of 
Syracuse,  located  near  the  Salina  Bridge.  Dr.  Swan  put  up 
a  small  frame  house  in  1807.  Jonathan  Fay  settled  near  the 
Court-House  in  1808.  Rufus  Stanton  kept  a  tavern  near  the 
Salina  bridge  in  1811 — building  now  standing,  and  occupied 
as  a  public  house. 

The  mills  were  erected  in  1805,  by  Mr.  Walton,  James 
Sayles  being  the  master  builder.  The  first  dam  was  erected 
where  the  Seneca  Turnpike  bridge  crosses  the  creek,  and  the 
road  at  that  time  passed  over  it.  The  dam  stood  only  about 
a  year,  when  it  was  swept  away  by  a  heavy  spring  freshet.  It 
was  re-built  several  rods  further  up  the  stream,  but  has  recent¬ 
ly  been  torn  away  on  account  of  the  supposed  unhealthiness 
of  the  mill  pond. 

The  name  South  Salina,  was  not  received  with  general  ap¬ 
probation,  and  after  a  time  it  was  changed  to  “Milan.”  This 
name  it  bore  for  several  years,  and  marriages,  deaths,  and 
other  incidents,  were  announced  in  the  “ Manlius  Times” 
then  the  only  paper  in  the  county,  as  having  taken  place  at 
Milan. 

The  Walton  Tract,  was  a  portion  of  it  sold  to  Michael  Ho¬ 
gan  and  Charles  Walton,  and  they,  with  the  original  proprie¬ 
tor,  held  if  in  common.  After  some  unimportant  changes,  it 
was  transferred  to  Forman,  Wilson  &  Co.,  in  1814,  for  about 


88 


ONONDAGA. 


nine  thousand  dollars.  From  these  proprietors,  it  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Daniel  Kellogg  and  Wm.  H.  Sabin,  in  1818,  who 
sold  it  in  1828  to  Henry  Eckford,  Esq.,  the  celebrated  ship¬ 
builder  of  New- York.  In  May,  1824,  the  Walton  Tract  was 
transferred  to  the  Syracuse  Company,  for  the  consideration  of 
thirty  thousand  dollars,  which  Company  consisted  of  Messrs. 
William  James,  Isaiah  and  John  Townsend,  and  James  Mc¬ 
Bride.  The  same  was  deeded  in  trust  to  Messrs.  Moses  D. 
Burnet  and  Gideon  Hawley,  since  which,  village  lots  have  been 
extensively  sold. 

At  the  time  the  purchase  was  made  by  Forman,  Wilson  & 
Co.,  they  erected  a  large  slaughter  house  in  a  pine  grove,  a 
little  in  rear  of  Gen.  Granger’s  dwelling,  north  of  Church 
street.  They  continued  the  business  of  packing  beef  and  pork 
on  a  large  scale,  till  1817,  having  had  during  the  war  a  heavy 
army  contract. 

After  the  transfer  of  the  Walton  estate  to  Messrs.  Kellogg 
and  Sabin,  Judge  Forman  was  appointed  agent  for  them,  and 
had  the  sole  management  of  affairs. 

In  the  spring  of  1819,  Mr.  Owen  Forman,  a  younger  brother 
of  the  Judge,  and  John  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  then  a  young  law¬ 
yer,  came  down  from  Onondaga  Hollow,  under  the  direction 
of  Judge  Forman,  to  lay  out  the  Walton  Tract  into  village 
lots.  The  old  survey  of  a  village  by  Mr.  Walton  was  thrown 
aside  and  disregarded.  These  young  men  proceeded  to  the 
work  in  the  month  of  June,  and  such  was  the  indefinite  posi¬ 
tion  of  the  ancient  land  marks,  that  it  was  with  the  greatest 
difficulty  that  they  could  ascertain  with  any  degree  of  cer¬ 
tainty,  the  starting  point.  Although  in  possession  of  an  ex¬ 
cellent  description,  made  by  Judge  Geddes,  but  for  a  certain 
wild  plumb  'tree  therein  mentioned,  it  is  thought  doubtful 
whether  the  precise  lines  as  originally  run  could  have  been 
traced.  After  near  a  fortnight  of  hard  labor,  the  village  was 
again  laid  out,  so  far  as  related  to  the  Walton  Tract ;  and 
what  was  not  included  in  the  village,  was  laid  out  into  farm 
lots  of  from  five  to  ten  acres  each. 

After  the  survey  was  completed,  Judge  doorman  named  the 


SYRACUSE. 


89 


village  “  Corinth ,”  the  name  of  Milan  having  been  relinquish¬ 
ed  in  consequence  of  an  inelfectual  attempt  to  obtain  a  Post 
Office,  there  being  already  one  of  that  name  in  the  State.  For 
several  years  the  place  went  by  the  name  of  “  Cossit’s  Cor¬ 
ners,”  after  Mr.  Sterling  Cossit,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Ingalls 
in  the  South  Salina  Hotel.  Mr!  Cossit  kept  the  house  from 
1815  to  1825,  after  which  it  was  kept  for  some  time  by  Mr. 
Williston. 

When  this  last  survey  was  made,  there  was  but  a  small 
clearing  in  the  village  of  Corinth.  The  extent  of  it  was  from 
the  canal,  near  Clinton  street,  south  to  Fayette  street,  and  east 
to  Warren  street.  On  the  north  side  of  the  canal,  the  clearing 
extended  as  far  back  as  Church  street,  and  east  to  Warren 
street.  The  rest  of  the  dry  ground  was  a  pine  grove  inter¬ 
spersed  with  oak  bushes. 

The  first  burying  ground  in  Syracuse  was  on  Fayette  street, 
very  near  where  Clinton  street  crosses  it,  if  any  thing  a  little 
west.  At  this  spot  were  buried  some  fifteen  or  twenty  per¬ 
sons,  whose  remains  have  never  been  removed,  and  hundreds 
daily  pass  over  them  unconscious  that  in  so  public  a  place 
lie  the  remains  of  individuals  who  were  once  as  active  in  life 
as  any  now  upon  the  stage.  The  old  burying  ground  near  the 
west  Rail-Road  Depot,  was  laid  out  by  Owen  Forman  and 
John  Wilkinson,  at  the  time  they  laid  out  the  village. 

Purchases  were  now  somewhat  rapidly  made,  and  the  busi¬ 
ness  of  clearing  went  vigorously  on.  Very  much  of  the  pre¬ 
sent  city  was,  however,  a  dreary  waste  of  swamp,  approached 
only  by  means  of  “corduroy”  and  “gridiron”  roads.  All 
along  where  now  is  located  the  beautiful  park,  was  then  a  fa¬ 
mous  shooting  ground  for  partridges  and  rabits,  and  further 
back,  were  plenty  of  wood-cock,  snipe,  owls  and  mud-turtles. 

In  spring,  the  water  did  not  usually  subside  sufficiently  to 
allow  people  to  pass  with  any  degree  of  comfort,  till  late  in 
May  or  June,  and  those  going  from  Onondaga  to  Salina,  were 
obliged  to  pass  around  on  the  high  ground  east  of  Syracuse, 
over  by-roads,  which  Were  cut  in  every  direction  through  the 
reservation,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  wood  in  winter  for 


90 


ONONDAGA. 


the  salt  works.  A  person  passing  over  the  present  improved 
roads,  can  have  no  conception  of  their  impassable  condition  in 
spring  and  autumn,  at  that  period.  In  fact  the  only  time 
when  they  were  endurable  was  in  winter,  when  perfectly  fro¬ 
zen  and  covered  with  a  good  body  of  snow. 

In  the  fall  of  1819,  Judge  Forman  removed  to  Syracuse 
with  his  family,  and  occupied  a  house  a  little  west  of  the 
Townsend  Block.  At  this  time  there  were  but  two  frame 
houses  in  the  village,  besides  the  tavern.  Log  houses,  and 
plank,  and  slab  cabins,  were  scattered  over  the  dry  ground,  most 
of  which  latter  had  been  tenanted  by  laborers  on  the  canal. 
The  pasture  of  the  Judge  ran  back  some  fifty  rods  and  east 
to  Salina  street ;  most  of  it  was  a  pine  grove.  Another  lot 
of  twenty  acres  commenced  where  the  Syracuse  House  now 
stands,  and  there  was  a  set  of  bars  and  passage-vray  to  this 
lot,  where  the  western  front  door  of  that  building  opens  to  the 
street.  In  1816,  Rufus  Stanton  raised  on  this  ground  an 
abundant  crop  of  rye.  It  was  afterwards  occupied  as  a  pas¬ 
ture  until  1820.  So  dense  was  the  forest  about  Syracuse  in 
1819,  that  two  young  ladies,  the  present  Mrs.  B.  W.  Leaven¬ 
worth  and  Mrs.  M.  D.  Burnet,  in  taking  a  morning  stroll  over 
“Prospect  Hill,”  became  bewildered  among  the  thick  brush¬ 
wood,  and  finally  rambled  about  till  the  day  was  far  spent, 
when  they  found  themselves  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Lodi  Locks, 
greatly  fatigued  with  their  labors,  and  not  a  little  rejoiced  at 
the  prospect  of  deliverance  from  the  terrors  of  passing  a 
gloomy  night  in  the  wilderness.  Here  they  recognized  fami¬ 
liar  ground,  and  returned  home  in  safety,  after  a  day  of  much 
anxiety  and  no  little  inquietude  of  mind. 

Previous  to  the  arrival  of  Judge  Forman,  Sidney  Dole  and 
Milan  C.  Taylor,  owned  and  occupied  the  mill,  and  kept  a  store 
next  west  of  where  the  late  William  Malcolm  first  kept ;  this 
was  in  1814.  They  were  the  first  merchants  in  Syracuse. 
Northrup  and  Dexter  had  a  job  on  the  Erie  Canal  in  1817, 
and  set  up  a  store  in  place  of  Dole  and  Taylor,  and  conduct¬ 
ed  business  till  1821.  In  1821,  General  Amos  P.  Granger 
came  down  from  Onondaga  Ilill,  and  set  up  as  a  dry  goods 


SYRACUSE. 


91 


merchant,  on  the  north-east  corner,  by  the  present  Salina 
street  bridge.  At  this  time  there  was  no  other  store  in  Syra¬ 
cuse,  except  two  or  three  small  groceries.  Mr.  Henry  New¬ 
ton  opened  a  store  in  1822 ;  Mr.  Archy  Kasson  opened  a 
hardware  store  in  1822 ;  Kasson  and  Heermans,  dry  goods, 
groceries  and  hardware  in  1823;  Mr.  G.  M.  Towle  opened  a 
commission  and  forwarding  store  in  April,  1823  ;  Geo.  Davis 
&  Co.,  in  July,  1823  ;  Henry  W.  Durnford,  groceries,  drugs 
and  medicine,  1823 ;  John  Rogers  &  Co.,  from  New-York, 
November,  1823 ;  William  Malcolm,  1823 ;  Haskell  &  Wal- 
bridge,  saddlers  and  furnishers  for  the  trade,  1824.  In  1824, 
J.  Yanderheyden,  Mead  &  Davis,  A.  N.  Yan  Patten,  and 
IT.  &  W.  Dowd,  established  themselves  as  merchants  at 
Syracuse.  Hiram  Judson,  watch  maker  and  jeweller,  1824 ; 
II.  Hyde  &  Co.,  established  themselves  as  forwarding  mer¬ 
chants  in  1824.  Since  this  period  merchants  have  become  so 
numerous  it  is  impossible  to  follow  their  history  with  preci¬ 
sion. 

Messrs.  Buell  &  S afford  bought  the  lot  where  the  Syracuse 
House  now  stands,  and  commenced  the  erection  of  the  “  Syra¬ 
cuse  Hotel.”  While  the  building  was  in  progress  of  erection, 
Mr.  Salford  fell  from  a  scaffold,  and  was  killed  by  the  fall  ; 
after  which,  the  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Eck- 
ford,  who  completed  the  Syracuse  Hotel  in  1822.  It  was  three 
stories  high,  and  the  first  brick  building  of  any  considerable 
dimensions,  erected  in  town.  It  was  kept  several  years  by 
Mr.  James  Mann.  After  the  Syracuse  Company  came  in 
possession  of  the  premises,  the  house  Avas  rebuilt,  and  has 
since  been  enlarged  and  improved  to  its  present  ample  di¬ 
mensions  and  style.  It  was  at  the  time  of  rebuilding  named 
the  “  Syracuse  House  after  which,  it  was  kept  by  Mr. 
George  Rust ;  afterwards,  by  Daniel  Comstock  and  II.  T. 
Gibson ;  and  for  a  long  period  thereafter,  it  was  kept  by 
P.  N.  Rust,  Esq.  He  was  succeeded  by  Gillett  &  Knicker¬ 
bocker,  in  1848. 

In  1822,  Syracuse  had  not  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
inhabitants,  and  no  place  of  worship  ;  the  whole  church-going 


92 


ONONDAGA. 


community  was  only  from  thirty  to  forty ;  no  school-house, 
only  two  taverns,  and  the  stores  before  mentioned. 

The  first  physician  was  Dr.  Swan,  who  located  at  Syracuse 
about  the  year  1807. 

Dr.  Basset  was  the  physician  during  the  building  of  the 
canal,  and  did  a  vast  amount  of  medical  business  ;  for,  almost 
every  man  engaged  on  the  canal  was  sick.  Eye  witnesses  ob¬ 
serve,  that  the  scenes  of  suffering  and  distress  at  that  period, 
were  beyond  conception.  Dr.  Colvin  succeeded  Dr.  Basset, 
and  still  resides  at  Syracuse.  Dr.  Day  came  in  afterwards, 
and  died  of  Cholera,  in  1 832.  Dr.  M.  Williams,  and  other  phy¬ 
sicians,  came  in  soon  after,  and  the  number  has  become  so 
numerous,  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  trace  them. 

John  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  in  1819,  was  the  first  lawyer  who 
established  himself  in  Syracuse.  He  erected  an  office  on  the 
corner  where  the  Globe  Buildings  now  stand,  and  was  heartily 
ridiculed  for  setting  his  office  out  in  the  fields.  This  locality 
at  that  time,  was  quite  out  of  town;  but  circumstances,  and 
the  advancing  prosperity  of  the  place,  have  brought  it  into 
the  centre  of  business. 

Alfred  Northam,  Esq.,  established  himself  as  a  lawyer  at 
Syracuse,  in  1824.  Messrs.  Harvey  Baldwin  and  Schuyler 
Strong,  were  the  next  lawyers  who  located  at  Syracuse,  in 
1826,  and  were  soon  followed  by  Messrs.  Wheaton  and  Davis, 
E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Esq.,  B.  D.  Noxon,  Esq.,  James  R.  Law¬ 
rence,  Esq.,  and  others,  some  of  whom  came  with  the  removal 
of  the  Court  House  from  the  Hill. 

Mr.  John  Durnford,  established  the  first  printing  press  at 
Syracuse.  He  was  induced  to  locate  at  Syracuse,  from  repre¬ 
sentations  made  to  him  of  the  growing  importance  of  the  vil¬ 
lage.  He  issued  the  first  number  of  the  “  Onondaga  Ga¬ 
zette,”  2d  of  April,  1823;  it  was  of  the  Clintonian  school 
of  politics.  The  first  number  contained  but  one  merchant’s 
advertisement,  viz. :  Kasson  &  Heerman’s.  Other  advertise¬ 
ments  were  of  “Lee’s  Billious  Pills,”  “Pomeroy’s  Razor 
Strop,”  “  Clark’s  Commentary,”  and  “  Morse’s  Geography.” 
The  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  after  the  first  year,  to 


SYRACUSE. 


93 


“Syracuse  Gazette,  and  General  Advertiser,”  and  was 
continued  by  Mr.  Durnford  until  1829,  when  Lewis  Id.  Red- 
field  moved  to  Syracuse  from  Onondaga  Hollow,  bought  out 
Mr.  D.,  and  united  the  “Onondaga  Register”  to  it,  under 
the  name  of  “The  Syracuse  Gazette  and  Onondaga  Re¬ 
gister.”  Mr.  Redfield  continued  the  publication  of  the  “  Ga¬ 
zette  and  Register”  until  the  close  of  1831,  when  it  was  trans¬ 
ferred  to  Messrs.  J.  H.  Clark  and  J.  de  Blois  Sherman ;  Mr. 
R.  having  had  charge  of  the  “Register”  at  Onondaga  Hol¬ 
low,  afterwards,  “Gazette  and  Register,”  at  Syracuse,  for  a 
period  of  eighteen  years ;  during  which  time,  D.  D.  Spencer 
editor  of  the  “Ithaca  Chronicle,”  Lewis  Gaylord  Clark,  Edi¬ 
tor  of  the  Knickerbocker,  and  E.  Russell  Webb,  of  New-York, 
served  their  several  terms  of  apprenticeship  in  the  “Register” 
office;  all  of  whom  occupy  distinguished  positions  in  their  re¬ 
spective  occupations.  Messrs.  Clark  and  Sherman,  changed 
the  name  of  the  paper  to  “  The  Sa'RACUse  Argus,”  and  gave 
the  “Jackson  party”  a  warm  support  for  a  short  time,  when 
it  was  finally  discontinued. 

In  1825,  Messrs.  - Barnum  and  John  F.  Wyman  estab¬ 

lished  the  “Syracuse  Advertiser,”  a  “Jackson”  paper. 
Mr.  Barnum,  however,  soon  withdrew,  and  was  succeeded  in 
his  interest  by  Mr.  Norman  Rawson.  Messrs.  Rawson  & 
Wyman,  continued  the  “  Advertiser”  until  the  autumn  of  ’26, 
when  Mr.  Wyman,  who  continued  alone  in  the  publication  of 
it,  until  the  spring  of  1829.  The  “  Onondaga  Journal,” 
published  at  Onondaga  Hill,  by  Mr.  Y.  W.  Smith,  was  then 
united  with  the  Advertiser,  under  the  name  of  “  The  Onon¬ 
daga  Standard,”  and  published  by  Wyman  and  Smith. 
The  Standard  has  since  been  continued  by  Y.  W.  &  T.  A. 
Smith,  Win.  L.  Crandall  and  A.  L.  Smith  ;  A.  L.  Smith  and 
Marcellus  Farmer;  A.  L.  Smith  and  P.  Agan  ;  and  is  now 
published  by  P.  Agan  and  Moses  Summers.  The  “  Morning 
Post,”  the  first  daily  established  in  Syracuse,  was  issued 
from  the  Standard  office,  about  four  months  in  1835. 

In  1830,  the  “  Onondaga  Republican,”  an  Anti-Masonic 
paper,  was  established  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Campbell,  and  was  con- 


94 


0  N  0  NT)  A  G  A  . 


tinued  about  three  years.  “  The  Syracuse  American” — 

National  Republican — was  established  in  1831,  by  Mr. - 

Adams  ;  continued  through  the  campaign  of  1832,  and  then 
discontinued. 

In  1834,  Messrs.  Clark  &  Patterson,  commenced  the  publi¬ 
cation  of  “The  Constitutionalist,”  a  Whig  paper,  which  was 
continued  about  two  years.  This  was  succeeded  by  “  The 
Syracuse  Whig,”  edited  by  John  K.  Barlow,  who  continued 
it  about  two  years,  when  it  was  merged  into  a  new  paper,  the 
“Western  State  Journal,”  by  V.  W.  &  S.  F.  Smith;  the 
latter  of  whom,  in  1846,  commenced  “  The  Syracuse  Daily 
Journal,”  in  connection  with  it.  In  the  Spring  of  1847, 
these  papers  passed  into  the  hands  of  Henry  Barns,  Augustus 
S.  Smith,  and  Edward  Cooper,  by  whom  they  were  continued 
until  the  destruction  of  the  establishment  by  fire,  6th  of  Jan¬ 
uary,  1849.  The  Daily  and  Weekly  Journal  are  now  con¬ 
tinued  by  Marcellus  Farmer,  Yivus  W.  Smith  and  Seth  Haight. 

In  1835,  “  The  Onondaga  Chief,”  by' Miller  and  Burdick, 
was  commenced  and  continued  about  two  years.  The  Chief 
was  succeeded  by  the  “Empire  State  Democrat,”  by  Hi¬ 
ram  Cummings;  afterwards  by  the  “Freeman,”  Abolition, 
by  Tucker  &  Kinney.  The  “Syracuse  Daily"  Star,”  neu¬ 
tral,  succeeded  the  Freeman,  bjr  the  same  publishers  in  1845, 
who  soon  after  commenced  the  publication  of  the  “Weekly 
Star.”  Both  papers  are  now  continued  by  Kinney  &  Mas¬ 
ters.  The  “Religious  Recorder”  was  established  by  Terry 
&  Platt,  in  1844. 

On  the  first  of  January,  1849,  the  following  entitled  pa¬ 
pers  were  published  in  the  city  of  Syracuse,  viz :  Syracuse 
Journal,  daily  and  weekly ;  Star,  daily  and  weekly ;  Stand¬ 
ard,  weekly  ;  Democrat,  rveekly ;  Religious  Recorder,  rveekly ; 
Reveille,  daily ;  and  Onondaga  Sentinel,  rveekly ;  and  in 
March,  1849,  was  established  the  “Central  City,”  by  an 
association  of  Printers.* 


*  For  the  above  brief  notic-e  of  the  Press  of  Syracuse,  the  author  is  mainly 
indebted  to  Messrs.  L.  II.  Redfield,  S.  F.  Smith  and  Henry  Barns. 


SYRACUSE. 


95 


Others  have  at  different  periods,  been  started,  but  their  ex¬ 
istence  has  been  short. 

A  stereotype  foundery  was  established  by  Messrs.  Baker  & 
Tiernan,  from  Philadelphia,  March  1849. 

The  first  religious  society  organized  in  Syracuse,  was  of 
the  Baptist  denomination.  At  first,  a  Conference  was  organ¬ 
ized  in  the  winter  of  1819-20,  by  Elder  John  G.  Sternes,  who 
officiated  as  minister  a  portion  of  the  time.  Thomas  Spencer, 
Braddock  Bart,  David  Johnson,  James  Wilson,  Alvin  Walker 
with  their  wives,  and  Wyllys  Brown,  B.  G.  Avery  and  Mrs. 
Wales,  were  the  members.  Arrangements  were  made  with 
the  Baptist  Madison  Theological  Seminary,  to  send  out  every 
Saturday,  a  young  man  to  preach.  The  arrangement  was 
not  pei’fect,  and  services  were  not  regularly  held.  The  peo¬ 
ple  of  all  denominations  at  that  time  attended  the  Baptist 
meeting  in  a  little  low  school  house,  scarcely  capable  of  con¬ 
taining  sixty  persons. 

Elder  Nathaniel  J.  Gilbert  came  to  Syracuse  as  a  mission¬ 
ary,  16th  of  February,  1821,  and  became  the  first  stated 
preacher,  in  June,  1823.  Rev.  Mr.  Gilbert,  united  with  the 
Church  and  became  their  regular  pastor,  in  November,  1824. 
He  continued  in  the  faithful  and  laborious  performance  of  the 
duties  of  his  office,  until  July,  1832,  when  he  was  suddenly 
cut  off  by  Asiatic  Cholera,  deeply  lamented  by  the  whole  com¬ 
munity. 

On  the  29th  of  August,  1833,  Rev.  Orsamus  Allen  became 
the  pastor  of  the  Church,  and  so  continued  until  October  20, 
1834.  In  November  following,  Rev.  Stephen  Wilkins  became 
the  pastor,  and  continued  until  December  1st,  1837.  He  was 
then  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Blain,  who  remained  with  the 
Church  four  years. 

December  1,  1841,  Rev.  Joseph  W.  Taggart  was  installed 
pastor,  and  remained  until  August,  1847.  He  was  succeeded 
by  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  Robert  R.  Raymond,  who  entered 
upon  his  duties  on  the  first  day  of  September,  1847. 

Their  first  house  of  worship,  (being  also  the  first  erected  in 
Syracuse,)  was  built  in  1824,  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand  three 


ONONDAGA. 


96 


hundred  dollars,  and  enlarged  in  1839,  at  a  cost  of  two  thou¬ 
sand  three  hundred  dollars.  In  the  spring  of  1848,  the  so¬ 
ciety  made  an  exchange  with  Capt.  Joel  Cody,  of  their  house 
and  lot,  for  a  lot  more  eligible,  situated  a  few  rods  east  of  their 
old  location,  and  erected  on  the  new  site,  a  brick  edifice  af¬ 
ter  the  Roman  Ionic  order  of  architecture.  This  building  is 
one  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet  long,  (including  the  porch 
in  front  and  lecture  room  in  rear,)  by  seventy  feet  in  width, 
estimated  cost,  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars,  making  the 
whole  property  worth  about  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

“  The  First  Presbyterian  Society  of  Syracuse ,”  was  organ¬ 
ized  December  14th,  1824,  and  the  following  persons  elected 
trustees,  viz  :  Moses  D.  Burnet,  Miles  Seymour,  Rufus  Moss, 
Jonathan  Day,  Ileman  Walbridge,  Joshua  Forman  and  Jo¬ 
seph  Slocum.  Their  house  of  worship  was  built  in  the  sum¬ 
mer  of  1825,  and  dedicated  in  January,  1826.  Rev.  D.  C. 
Lansing  preached  the  dedication  sermon.  The  Church  was 
organized  with  twenty-six  members,  on  the  6th  of  April, 
1826.  Elders,  Frederick  Phelps  and  Edward  Chapman ; 
Deacon,  Pliny  Dickinson.  On  the  28th  of  June,  1826,  Rev. 
John  AVatson  Adams  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  over 
this  church,  and  has  continued  so  until  the  present  time, 
(1849,)  a  rare  instance  of  the  true  relation  which  should  be 
sustained  between  people  and  pastor.  It  is  believed  there  is  not 
another  instance  of  so  long  continuance  of  a  minister  with 
his  congregation  in  Western  New-York.  Previous  to  the  erec¬ 
tion  of  their  house  of  worship,  meetings  were  held  in  the  vil¬ 
lage  school  house. 

“ Park  Church”  (second  Presbyterian)  was  organized  1847, 
building  completed  1848.  Rev.  AY.  AY.  Newell,  pastor. 

“St.  Paul's  Church”  was  organized  22d  of  May,  1826, 
Rev.  John  McCarty  presiding.  At  this  time  were  chosen, 
John  Durnford  and  Samuel  AYright,  AYardens ;  Amos  P. 
Granger,  Archy  Kasson,  James  Mann,  Matthew  AY.  Davis, 
Mather  AVilliams,  Barent  Filkins,  Othniel  AVilliston  and 
Jabez  Hawley,  Vestrymen.  In  1825,  the  Syracuse  Company 
gave  the  Episcopal  Society  a  lot  of  ground  for  a  church,  and 


SYRACUSE. 


97 


in  September  the  frame  was  raised,  and  covered  during  the 
autumn  of  that  year,  and  in  1827,  it  was  completed.  It  stood 
on  the  ground  lately  occupied  by  the  Granger  Block,  now  in 
ruins.  The  church  building  was  subsequently  sold  to  the  Ro¬ 
man  Catholic  Society,  who  removed  it.  On  the  12th  of  July, 
1841,  the  corner  stone  of  the  present  St.  Paul’s  Church  was 
laid,  and  the  building  completed  early  the  following  year. 
Previous  to  the  erection  of  the  first  church  edifice,  services 
were  held  in  the  school  house,  and  occasionally  in  the  Baptist 
house.  Clergymen  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  who 
officiated  previous  to  the  organization  of  the  society,  were 

Rev.  Messrs.  Lucius  Smith,  Win.  B.  Thomas, - Wilcox, 

Wm.  J.  Bulkley,  Augustus  L.  Converse,  and  afterwards,  Rev. 
Messrs.  John  McCarty,  William  Barlow,  Palmer  Dyer,  Rich¬ 
ard  Salmon,  John  Grigg,  Francis  Todrig,  Clement  M.  Butler, 
Charles  H.  Halsey,  William  Walton,  Isaac  Swart,  John  B. 
Gallagher  and  Henry  Gregory.  Dr.  Gregory  was  succeeded 
in  St.  Paul’s  by  the  Rev.  Wm.  B.  Ashley. 

“St.  James  Church ,”  (Protestant  Episcopal,)  was  organ¬ 
ized  August,  1848.  Rector,  Rev.  Henry  Gregory,  D.  D. 

The  “  Church  of  the  Messiah,”  (First  Unitarian  Congrega¬ 
tional  Society  of  Syracuse,)  was  organized  3d  of  September, 
1838.  First  trustees,  Hiram  Putnam,  Nathan  Flint  and 
Charles  F.  Williston.  Their  first  house  of  worship  was  a  lit¬ 
tle  chapel  on  Genesee  street,  dedicated  in  December,  1838. 
The  new  edifice  was  erected  in  1843,  and  consecrated  in  De¬ 
cember  of  that  year.  Clergymen  have  been  Rev.  J.  P.  B. 
Storer,  who  commenced  with  the  consecration,  and  continued 
till  within  one  week  of  his  death,  at  which  time  he  preached 
his  last  sermon.  He  died  10th  of  March,  1844.  Rev.  Sam¬ 
uel  J.  May  has  officiated  since,  to  1849. 

First  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Syracuse,  was  organized 
Christmas  day,  1842.  It  was  purchased  from  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Society,  and  fitted  up  for  the  Roman  Catholics. 
In  1848,  it  was  considerably  enlarged  and  improved.  Rev. 
Michael  Ilaes,  the  only  minister. 

The  “ First  Methodist  Episcopal  Society”  erected  a  substan- 

b  7 


98 


ONONDAGA. 


tial  brick  church  in  188G.  Statistics  from  this  society  have  not 
been  furnished.  It  is,  however,  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  city. 
A  new  society  has  recently  been  organized. 

A  “Dutch  Reformed  Society ”  was  organized  in  1848.  The 
Rev.  J.  H.  Cornell,  minister. 

There  is  an  African  Church,  and  several  German  societies, 
of  different  protestent  persuasions. 

The  Onondaga  County  Bank  was  incorporated  in  1830  ;  Sa- 
lina  Bank,  1832  ;  Bank  of  Syracuse,  1838,  under  General 
Banking  Law.  Syracuse  and  Utica  Rail-road  went  into  ope¬ 
ration  3d  July,  1839 ;  Auburn  and  Syracuse,  1841  ;  Oswego 
and  Syracuse,  October,  1848.  Telegraph  from  Albany  to 
Syracuse  established  1846.  Townsend  Block  was  erected  in 
1842  ;  The  Granger  Block  in  1844 — destroyed  by  fire  on  6th 
January,  1849 ;  Empire  Block  erected  1845 ;  Globe  Build¬ 
ings,  1846-7  ;  Malcolm  Block,  1847 ;  Market  Hall,  1845. 

The  first  packet-boat  on  the  canal,  named  the  Montezuma, 
arrived  at  Syracuse  on  the  21st  of  April,  1820.  It  was  built 
and  fitted  up  by  a  company  of  gentlemen  at  Montezuma,  from 
a  model  furnished  by  Comfort  Tyler.  It  was  seventy-six  feet 
long,  and  fourteen  feet  wide.  Its  arrival  created  great  excite¬ 
ment  ;  hundreds  of  anxious  spectators  lined  the  banks  of  the 
canal,  to  witness  this  mighty  wonder.  This  practical  illustra¬ 
tion  of  the  benefits  of  canal  navigation  was  not  without  its 
use.  It  hushed  the  hostility  of  canal  opponents,  and  subdued 
the  fears  of  the  more  timorous ;  visionary  theory  yielded  to 
simple  fact,  and  wild  speculation  to  the  test  of  experiment. 
The  canal  was  now  navigable  from  Montezuma  to  Utica,  nine¬ 
ty-four  miles,  and  at  once  business  received  a  new  and  vigor¬ 
ous  impulse. 

The  4th  of  July,  1820,  was  a  glorious  day  for  Syracuse. 
The  canal  was  in  practical  operation,  the  prospects  of  the  fu¬ 
ture  city  began  to  brighten  ;  a  most  brilliant  day  dawned 
upon  a  land  heretofore  a  swamp  and  bog.  It  was  hailed  as  a 
day  of  joy,  festivity  and  rejoicing.  Invitations  had  been  ex¬ 
tended  to  the  friends  of  the  canal  throughout  the  State,  par¬ 
ticularly  in  the  Western  District.  Thousands  of  guests  from 


SYRACUSE. 


99 


the  surrounding  counties  came  in  to  witness  the  novelty  of 
canal  navigation,  and  to  celebrate  the  day.  Some  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  in  the  State  were  present,  among  whom  were 
Gov.  Clinton  and  suite,  General  Van  Cortland,  Myron  Hol¬ 
ley,  Thomas  J.  Oakley,  and  John  C.  Spencer.  Judge  Van 
Ness  adjourned  the  Circuit,  then  in  .session  at  the  Court-House, 
and  the  Court  and  Bar  attended  in  a  body.  Thaddeus  M. 
Wood,  Esq.,  presided  on  the  occasion.  The  Declaration  was 
read  by  N.  P.  Randall,  Esq.,  and  the  Oration  delivered  by 
Samuel  Miles  Hopkins,  Esq.,  to  more  than  tw'O  thousand  peo¬ 
ple.  The  numerous  procession  was  formed  in  front  of  Mr. 
Cossit’s  tavern,  escorted  by  the  Salina  Band.  They  proceed¬ 
ed  to  a  pine  grove  directly  in  rear  of  the  Townsend  Block. 
The  platform  on  which  were  seated  the  orator,  reader  and  dis¬ 
tinguished  guests,  was  under  a  large  spreading  pine,  which 
has  long  ago  bowed  its  towering  head  to  make  way  for  the 
rapid  and  substantial  improvements  which  have  since  been 
made.  This  was  the  first  celebration  of  our  national  inde¬ 
pendence  at  Syracuse,  and  those  who  were  present  number  it 
among  her  proudest  days. 

A  Post  Office  was  established  at  Syracuse  in  February,  1820, 
and  was  thus  announced  in  the  Onondaga  Register — “  A  new 
Post  Office  has  been  established  at  Syracuse,  (formerly  Corinth) 
in  the  town  of  Salina,  and  John  Wilkinson,  Esq.,  appointed 
Post  Master.  The  name  of  this  village  was  necessarily  chang¬ 
ed,  there  being  a  Post  Office  of  the  name  of  Corinth  previ¬ 
ously  established  in  the  State.”  The  advertising  list  in  1823, 
at  the  time  of  the  first  appearance  of  the  Onondaga  Gazette 
had  increased  to  eight.  The  Post  Office  for  a  time  was  kept 
in  the  store  of  Gen.  Granger,  but  for  the  greater  convenience 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  village,  it  was  thought  advisable  to 
move  it  to  the  printing  office  of  John  Durnford,  Esq.  He  at 
first  objected  on  account  of  the  lack  of  room,  but  finally  con¬ 
sented.  In  due  time  Mr.  Wilkinson  came  on  with  the  whole 
contents  of  the  Post  Office,  mail  matter,  letter  bags,  boxes — 
the  whole  concern,  on  his  shoulders,  without  having  occasion 
to  go  for  a  second  load ;  upon  which  Mr.  Durnford  conclud- 


100 


ONONDAGA. 


ed  lie  had  plenty  of  room  to  accommodate  all  the  requisite 
wants  of  the  department  at  Syracuse. 

On  the  9tli  of  June,  1825,  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette  visit¬ 
ed  Syracuse.  He  was  escorted  from  Onondaga  Hill,  by  a 
large  body  of  citizens  on  horseback  (by  way  of  the  Hollow) 
to  the  Mansion  House,  where  he  received  the  cordial  greet¬ 
ings  of  the  citizens  of  Syracuse  and  the  surrounding  country. 
Judge  Forman,  as  President  of  the  village,  addressed  the  war¬ 
worn  veteran  in  behalf  of  his  fellow  citizens,  in  an  appropriate 
address,  replete  with  generous  affection,  tendering  to  the  il¬ 
lustrious  guest,  the  heartfelt  hospitalities  of  a  grateful  people. 
Haring  the  delivery  of  Judge  Forman’s  address,  the  illustrious 
hero  stood  with  his  hat  in  hand  leaning  on  his  cane,  with  the 
other  on  his  hip,  giving  his  undivided  attention  to  what  was 
said.  The  gallant  general  responded  in  the  following  words  : 
(Rep.  Onon.  Reg.) 

“  The  names  of  Onondaga  and  Syracuse,  in  behalf  of  whose 
population  you  are  pleased  so  kindly  to  welcome  me,  recall  to 
my  mind  at  the  same  time,  the  wilderness  that,  since'  the  time 
I  commanded  on  the  northern  frontier,  has  been  transformed 
into  one  of  the  most  populous,  well  cultivated  and  enlightened 
parts  of  the  United  States ;  and,  the  ancient  Sicilian  city, 
once  the  seat  of  republican  institutions,  much  inferior,  how¬ 
ever,  to  those  which  in  American  Syracuse,  are  founded  upon 
the  plain  investigation,  the  unalloyed  establishment  of  the 
rights  of  men,  and  upon  the  best  representative  forms  of 
government.  No  doubt  sir,  but  that  among  the  co-operators 
of  the  Revolution,  the  most  sanguine  of  us  could  not  fully  an¬ 
ticipate  the  rapidity  of  the  improvements,  which  on  a  journey  of 
many  thousand  miles,  (the  last  tour  alone,  from  Washington 
to  this  place,  amounting  to  five  thousand  miles,)  have  delighted 
me,  and  of  which  this  part  of  the  country  offers  a  bright  ex¬ 
ample.  Be  pleased  to  accept  my  personal  thanks,  and  in  be¬ 
half  of  the  people  of  Onondaga  and  Syracuse,  to  receive  the 
tribute  of  my  sincere  and  respectful  acknowledgments.” 

This  address  was  received  with  the  most  rapturous  applause. 
Salutations  were  exchanged,  a  bountiful  repast  was  furnished 


v 


SYRACUSE. 


101 


for  the  guests,  and  all  passed  off  to  the  greatest  gratification 
of  every  one  present. 

After  breakfast,  the  General  and  suite,  together  with  the 
Onondaga  committee  of  escort,  left  Syracuse  in  the  packet 
boat  Rochester,  for  Utica,  to  which  place  the  committee  ac¬ 
companied  him. 

The  conclusion  of  the  great  work  in  which  the  people  of 
Onondaga  had  borne  so  prominent  a  part,  was  undoubtedly  a 
primary  cause  of  the  improvement  of  Syracuse.  The  village 
was  incorporated  by  Legislative  enactment,  13th  April,  1825, 
with  the  usual  powers  granted  to  like  incorporations.  The 
charter  was  amended  in  1829  and  in  1834,  increasing  the  pow¬ 
ers  of  village  officers  regulating  water  works,  fire  depart¬ 
ment,  &c. 

In  1835,  the  bounds  of  the  original  village  were  considera¬ 
bly  enlarged.  (See  Records.)  In  1839-41,  the  charter  was 
again  amended  so  as  to  enable  the  Trustees  to  hold  real  estate 
for  the  purposes  of  a  village  cemetery,  which  was  subsequent¬ 
ly  purchased,  laid  out  and  beautified.  In  1842  and  in  1845, 
the  charter  was  again  amended  for  improvement  of  water 
works,  to  empower  the  Trustees  to  borrow  money  on  the  cre¬ 
dit  of  the  corporation,  to  purchase  a  lot  for  a  market  and  other 
public  buildings,  and  for  other  purposes. 

The  first  meeting  for  the  election  of  officers  of  the  village 
of  Syracuse,  was  held  at  the  School  House  in  said  village,  3d 
of  May,  1825,  at  which  Joshua  Forman,  Amos  P.  Granger, 
Moses  D.  Burnet,  Heman  Walbridge  and  John  Rogers,  were 
elected  Trustees,  (Joshua  Forman,  President;)  James  Webb, 
Alfred  Northum  and  Thomas  Spencer,  Assessors ;  John  Wil¬ 
kinson,  Clerk ;  John  Durnford,  Treasurer ;  Daniel  Gilbert, 
Justice  Peace,  presiding. 

The  Trustees  proceeded  at  once  to  lay  out  road  districts,  to 
organize  a  fire  department,  and  to  purchase  engines  and  ap¬ 
paratus,  and  other  things  for  the  welfare  of  the  village. 

The  second  Board  of  Trustees  was  elected  3d  of  May,  1826. 
Only  fifty-six  votes  were  polled.  The  Board  consisted  of  M. 
D.  Burnet,  II.  Gifford,  Alfred  Northum,  Andrew  Van  Patten 


102 


ONONDAGA. 


and  Henry  Young,  (M.  D.  Burnet,  second  President  ;)  Peter 
Yan  Olinda,  Clerk.  For  officers  in  succeeding  years  see  vil¬ 
lage  records. 

The  city  of  Syracuse  justly  prides  herself  upon  the  supe¬ 
riority  of  her  common  schools,  -which  may  be  deemed  the 
model  schools  of  the  county,  and  are  scarcely  equalled  by  any 
in  the  State.  Districts  were  formerly  laid  out  when  the  pop¬ 
ulation  was  scanty  and  scholars  few.  Districts  that  once  con¬ 
tained  only  a  small  number  of  inhabitants,  have  recently  be¬ 
come  populous,  and  where  the  school  was  attended  by  a  score 
of  children,  it  has  increased  ten  fold.  Within  the  memory 
of  many,  there  was  only  a  single  square  hopper-shaped  roof 
building,  used  for  schools,  religious  meetings,  town  hall,  and 
for  almost  every  public  purpose. 

Through  the  exertions  of  Messrs.  ITarvey  Baldwin,  Oliver 
Teall,  Aaron  Burt,  and  some  others  friendly  to  the  cause  of 
education,  a  charter  was  obtained  for  the  Syracuse  Academy. 
Mr.  Baldwin  gave  the  lot,  and  under  many  discouraging  em¬ 
barrassments,  the  building  now  occupied  as  the  Orphan  Asy¬ 
lum  was  erected  and  completed  for  an  Academy,  which  was 
supplied  with  competent  teachers,  and  supported  by  the  bene¬ 
factions  of  the  before  named  individuals,  and  a  few  others. 
After  the  Academy  went  into  operation,  the  enterprise  of  the 
people  began  to  be  aroused,  jealousies  in  reference  to  the  Aca¬ 
demy  being  a  speculation,  were  awakened,  and  district  school 
houses  sprung  up  and  were  patronized.  The  cause  of  educa¬ 
tion  profited  by  the  efforts  of  these  first  actors,  but  the  foun¬ 
ders  were,  and  continued  to  be  losers,  and  finally  the  Academy 
was  abandoned,  and  the  house  designed  by  its  originators  to 
subserve  the  cause  of  education,  providentially  became  the 
home  of  the  helpless  orphan,  and  the  abode  of  charity. 

On  the  evening  of  Friday,  the  20th  of  August,  1841,  oc¬ 
curred  the  ever  memorable  explosion,  at  which  time  twenty- 
six  of  our  fellow-citizens  were  launched  unwarned  into  eter¬ 
nity,  and  ten  others  dangerously,  and  forty-three  others  se¬ 
verely  wounded.  A  fire  originated  in  a  joiners  shop,  on  the 
towing  path  side  of  the  Oswego  Canal.  Here  had  been  stored 


SYRACUSE. 


103 


some  twenty-five  kegs  of  powder,  which  exploded  with  the 
most  terrible  consequences.  A  gloom  was  cast  over  the  village 
and  the  county,  which  betokened  sorrow,  and  mourning  was 
manifest  upon  every  countenance ;  sadness  pervaded  every 
dwelling,  and  melancholy  every  heart.  The  effects  of  this 
explosion  were  felt  for  more  than  twenty  miles  around.  A 
man  upon  the  deck  of  a  packet  boat  at  Fulton,  twenty-six 
miles  distant,  heard  the  report.  At  De  Witt  and  Jamesville, 
five  miles  off,  persons  were  started  from  their  sleep,  supposing 
their  chimnies  had  fallen  down.  At  Manlius,  ten  miles  dis¬ 
tant,  the  earth  trembled,  and  crockery  upon  a  merchant’s 
shelves  rattled  for  the  space  of  several  seconds,  like  the  shock 
from  a  clap  of  thunder.  At  Camillus  it  was  compared  to  the 
crash  of  falling  timber.  At  Onondaga  it  was  supposed  to  be 
an  earthquake.  Although  the  concussion  was  tremendous  at 
Syracuse,  the  report  was  not  so  loud  as  might  have  been  sup¬ 
posed.  Glass  in  the  windows  a  hundred  rods  distant,  were 
broken.  Papers  in  the  County  Clerk’s  Office  were  thrown  from 
their  places  upon  the  floor,  and  several  buildings  were  more  or 
less  injured.  The  instant  the  explosion  took  place,  the  air  was 
filled  with  fragments  of  the  building,  bits  of  lumber,  &c., 
which  lighted  up  the  heavens  with  the  brightness  of  day  ;  but 
in  a  twinkling  it  was  total  darkness.  The  explosion  had  ex¬ 
tinguished  every  particle  of  fire.  The  scene  at  this  moment 
was  horrible  beyond  description  ;  men,  women  and  children, 
screaming  in  horror ;  none  knew  the  extent  of  the  calamity, 
and  all  were  anxious  to  learn  the  fate  of  their  friends.  Quickly 
some  three  thousand  persons  were  gathered,  anxiously  looking 
for  those  whom  they  most  regarded.  Very  soon  lamps  were 
brought,  the  wounded  were  carried  off,  filling  the  air  with 
sighs  and  groans.  The  dead  were  sought  and  found,  many  of 
them  so  much  disfigured  that  they  could  be  recognized  only 
by  their  clothes  or  the  contents  of  their  pockets.  For  a  long 
time  clumps  of  persons  could  be  seen  with  lights  in  all  direc¬ 
tions,  carrying  either  the  dead  or  the  wounded,  to  their  homes. 
The  scenes  of  that  fatal  night  will  long  be  remembered  by  the 
citizens  of  Syracuse  and  the  county  of  Onondaga.  The  next 


1G4 


ONONDAGA. 


day  the  village  was  shrouded  in  mourning.  The  stores  were 
all  closed,  and  business  was  out  of  the  question.  On  Sunday 
the  unfortunate  victims  were  consigned  to  the  tomb  amidst  the 
sympathies  and  tears  of  an  afflicted  community.  The  Clergy 
were  most  solemn  and  impassioned  in  their  addresses,  and  the 
deepest  sadness  prevailed,  as  the  several  processions  wended 
their  way  to  the  lonely  tomb. 

During  the  year  1846,  Syracuse  had  so  wonderfully  in¬ 
creased  in  size  and  population,  that  the  subject  of  securing 
for  it  a  city  charter,  began  seriously  to  be  discussed.  Meet¬ 
ings  were  held  during  that  and  the  following  year,  without 
coming  to  any  definite  conclusion,  till  in  the  winter  of  1847-8, 
the  matter  was  brought  before  the  Legislature.  There  was 
considerable  difference  of  opinion  among  the  inhabitants,  as 
to  the  extent  of  territory  which  should  be  embraced.  Some 
were  for  including  the  whole  original  Salt  Springs  Reserva¬ 
tion  ;  others,  for  only  the  village  of  Syracuse.  Some  for  more 
territory,  others  for  less.  Several  spirited  meetings  were  held 
in  reference  to  the  subject,  which  finally  resulted  in  the  grant 
of  a  charter,  including  the  villages  of  Syracuse  and  Salina, 
with  the  name  of  Syracuse.  At  the  first  election  of  city  offi¬ 
cers,  in  May,  1848,  Harvey  Baldwin,  Esq.,  was  elected 
Mayor;  James  Lynch  and  Elizur  Clark,  Aldermen  for  the 
first  ward  ;  Alexander  McKinstry  and  John  B.  Burnet,  for  the 
second ;  William  JI.  Alexander  and  Gardner  Lawrence,  for  the 
third  ;  and  Henry  W.  Durnford  and  Robert  Furman,  for  the 
fourth. 

From  the  returns  of  a  census  made  for  the  city  of  Syracuse, 
first  of  January,  1849,  it  contained  a  small  fraction  short  of 
16,000  inhabitants. 

In  May,  1849,  E.  W.  Leavenworth,  Esq.,  was  elected  Mayor ; 
Thomas  Feagan,  of  the  first  ward,  Silas  Titus,  of  the  second, 
Amos  Westcott,  of  the  third,  and  Edward  B.  Wicks,  of  the 
fourth,  Aldermen  ; — Messrs.  Lynch,  McKinstry,  Lawrrence, 
and  Durnford,  holding  over. 

The  opening  of  the  canal  in  1820,  may  be  set  down  as  the 
real  commencement  of  the  city  of  Syracuse.  From  this  time 


SYRACUSE. 


105 


it  began  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  place  inevitably  destined  to 
become  the  grand  emporium  of  the  county.  There  was,  how¬ 
ever,  one  continual  drawback.  Dui'ing  the  building  of  the 
canal  from  1817  to  1820,  the  sickness  had  been  terrible.  No 
estimate  can  be  made  of  the  fatality  of  disease  at  that  time. 
To  the  foreseeing  mind  of  Judge  Forman,  something  was  to 
be  done  to  improve  the  health  of  the  place,  or  his  plans  would 
fail ;  accordingly,  during  the  winter  of  1821-22,  he  procured 
the  passage  of  a  law,*  in  connection  with  one  authorizing  the 
lowering  of  Onondaga  Lake,  by  which  the  Commissioners  of 
the  Land  Office  were  to  draw  a  map  of  the  swamp  and  marsh 
about  the  villages  of  Salina  and  Syracuse.  This  map  was  to 
designate  the  route  of  several  ditches  or  drains  through  the 
swamp  and  marsh  lands,  with  an  accompanying  estimate  of 
the  sum  necessary  to  be  raised  to  effect  such  object.  The 
judges  of  the  county  courts  were  authorized  to  appoint  three 
discreet  freeholders  of  the  county,  who  should  assess  the 
amount  of  money  necessary  to  be  raised  on  the  owners  of  the 
lands  contiguous  to  the  drains,  in  proportion  as  they  were 
supposed  to  be  benefitted.  In  case  of  the  non-payment  of 
any  assessment,  the  lands  could  be  sold,  after  being  adver¬ 
tised  four  weeks  for  the  payment,  and  if  not  redeemed  within 
six  months,  with  interest  at  ten  per  cent.,  with  all  costs,  the 
sale  was  valid  and  unchangable. 

The  citizens  were  allowed  to  build  their  own  ditches  on 
their  own  lands,  according  to  the  prescribed  rules  of  the  com¬ 
missioners,  and  the  plan  laid  down  on  the  map.  In  case  they 
would  not,  commissioners  were  authorized  themselves  to  build 
them,  and  charge  the  owners  with  the  cost,  and  cost  of  col¬ 
lection.  This  law  at  the  time,  was  considered  highly  arbi¬ 
trary  ;  but,  it  was  the  only  feasible  project  by  which  the  lands 
could  be  drained. 

In  the  summer  of  1822,  the  lands  were  brought  under  sub¬ 
jection  by  draining,  the  place  assumed  an  air  of  healthfulncss, 
disease  and  sickness  kept  at  a  distance,  a  marked  difference 
was  manifest  at  once,  confidence  was  placed  in  the  future,  and 


106 


ONONDAGA. 


the  past  was  quickly  forgotten.  Since  the  draining  of  these 
lands,  they  have  been  as  healthy  as  any  in  the  country. 

The  same  year,  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Onondaga 
Salt  Springs  Reservation  was  sold  under  the  direction  of  the 
Surveyor  General.  It  was  parcelled  into  small  lots  and  sold 
to  individuals,  several  of  which  were  taken  by  Messrs.  Kel¬ 
logg  &  Sabin,  which  eventually  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Syracuse  Company.  A  large  portion  of  the  present  site  of 
the  city,  and  which  is  now  covered  with  costly  buildings,  was 
included  in  these  sales.  Very  much  of  this  land  brought  only 
nominal  prices.  For  instance,  the  lots  on  which  now  stand 
the  stately  mansions  of  Messrs.  Lester,  Colvin,  Woolworth, 
Minard,  Coggswell,  Sedgwick,  Wilkinson,  Burnet,  Davis, 
Forbes,  Leavenworth  and  others,  together  with  a  large  tract, 
including  the  cemetery,  brought  at  the  sale,  only  from  eigh¬ 
teen  to  thirty  dollars  per  acre.  The  lands  east  of  Fayette 
Park,  including  L.  IT.  Redfield’s  and  other  lots,  sold  for  six 
dollars  per  acre. 

General  Granger  took  several  of  the  lots  in  the  swamp, 
near  Lodi,  between  the  canal  and  turnpike,  at  ten  dollars 
fifty  cents  per  acre.  Citizens  agreed  not  to  bid  against  him, 
on  condition  of  his  clearing  the  land  immediately.  This  was 
done  at  great  expense,  the  same  season,  and  put  into  a  crop 
of  wheat.  Most  of  this  ground  is  now  covered  with  fine 
buildings. 

Another  sale  of  State  lands  was  made  in  1828,  embracing 
the  lots  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Court-House,  and  on  other  por¬ 
tions  of  the  reservation. 

Directly  after  this,  roads  were  improved  and  made  substan¬ 
tial  and  permanent,  low  places  were  filled  up,  logs  and  stumps 
were  removed,  durable  stores  and  tasteful  dwellings  were 
erected,  churches  with  their  lofty  spires  glanced  upwards, 
magificent  hotels,  and  massive  rows  of  buildings  appeared  in 
all  directions,  canal  basins  were  crowded  with  boats,  lading 
and  unlading,  at  the  spacious  warehouses  upon  the  wharves, 
and  wheel  carriages  loaded  with  agricultural  products  lined  the 
extended  and  well  paved  streets.  All  these  places  have  within 


SYRACUSE. 


10T 


a  very  few  years,  become  thronged  with  people  full  of  busi¬ 
ness,  life  and  activity.  The  change  is  like  a  vision,  an  en¬ 
chantment  to  the  many  who  have  lived  to  witness  in  so  short 
a  time,  the  wonderful  transition.  But  a  few  years  ago,  the 
wild  flowers  grew  in  spontaneous  profusion,  all  along  where 
are  now  lofty  stores  and  hotels,  and  wild  berries  were  gath¬ 
ered  abundantly  on  grounds  now  occupied  by  the  older  churches 
of  the  city,  and  the  reaper,  as  he  bound  his  yellow  sheaves, 
little  thought  that  so  soon,  his  stubble  land  would  become 
the  great  thoroughfare  of  steam  and  electricity.  The  time 
has  been  so  short,  that  it  is  difficult  to  realize  that  so  great  a 
change  has  been  wrought.  In  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  cen¬ 
tury,  a  city  has  sprung  up  from  a  loathsome  swamp,  where 
least  of  all,  the  traveler  would  dream  of  such  an  event. 
There  has  never  been  anything  like  extra  exertion  to  increase 
the  size  of  the  town — its  growth  has  been  steady,  healthy  and 
uniform.  Through  all  periods  of  pecuniary  adversity,  it  has 
passed  its  onward  career,  with  a  greater  demand  for  dwellings. 

Its  business,  from  year  to  year,  has  increased  with  great  reg¬ 
ularity.  As  new  stores  were  opened,  customers  increased,  and 
as  trade  extended  itself,  the  country  became  more  dependant 
upon  Syracuse  as  a  market.  Although  this  has  been  the 
course  and  consequent  increase  of  business  and  population  for 
near  twenty-five  years,  the  same  characteristics  still  exist,  and 
it  is  no  unreasonable  prediction  to  remark,  that  the  growth  may  , 
be  even  more  rapid  for  the  succeeding  twenty-five  years,  than 
it  has  been  for  the  last  twenty-five.  “  Westward  the  star  of  em¬ 
pire  lies.”  The  Capitol  of  the  Empire  State,  will  undoubt¬ 
edly,  within  that  period,  be  removed  to  the  Central  City,  and 
there  may  be  many  now  living,  who  will  witness  the  inaugu¬ 
ration  of  Governors,  and  the  organization  of  Legislatures,  in 
the  city  of  Syracuse. 


108 


ONONDAGA. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


NOTES  ON  TIIE  SEVERAL  TOWNS  OF  ONONDAGA  COUNTY 


Onondaga — Salina — Geddes — Lysander— Cicero— Clay— Manlius— De  Witt— 
Camillus — Elbridge — Van  Buren— Marcellus — Skaneateles — Pompey  — 
La  Fayette — Fabius — Tolly—1 Otisco — Spafford 

Town  of  Onondaga. — This  town  was  incorporated  in  the 
year  1798,  and  was  made  up  of  parts  of  the  two  tracts  of 
land  known  as  the  Onondaga  and  Salt  Springs  Reservations. 
The  first  permanent  settlers,  after  Ephraim  Webster,  were 
Messrs.  Asa  Danforth  and  family,  and  Comfort  Tyler. 

In  the  month  of  February,  1788,  Mr.  Webster,  in  company 
with  two  Indians,  proceeded  on  a  hunting  excursion  into  the 
lower  part  of  Montgomery  County.  Late  one  afternoon  they 
came  to  a  small  clearing  in  the  town  of  Mayfield.  They  here 
met  a  man  who  lived  at  no  great  distance,  and  desired  a  night’s 
lodging  in  his  barn.  lie  refused  them  this  privilege,  but  in¬ 
sisted  they  should  accompany  him  to  his  house  and  spend  the 
night  by  the  fire.  They  consented,  threw  off  their  snow  shoes 
and  were  soon  partaking  of  a  hospitable  meal  prepared  by  the 
lady  of  their  host.  During  the  evening’s  conversation,  Web¬ 
ster  remarked,  that  he  lived  at  Onondaga,  a  much  more  fruit¬ 
ful  and  inviting  country  than  the  one  where  he  was  located, 
and  finally  so  much  was  said  in  praise  of  Onondaga,  and  so 
effectually  each  won  the  confidence  of  the  other,  that  it  was 
agreed  Webster  should  solicit  permission  of  the  Indians  for 
his  host  to  settle  on  their  lands,  and  if  successful,  Webster 


TOWNS O  NONDAGA. 


109 


was  to  return  or  send  an  Indian  to  inform  him  of  the  fact. 
The  man  whom  Webster  so  accidentally  visited  at  this  time, 
was  Mr.  Asa  Danforth,  who  became  emphatically  the  pioneer 
of  Onondaga  County.  An  Indian  was  dispatched  in  due  time 
with  information  that  Mr.  Danforth  could  settle  at  Onondaga 
Hollow,  and  it  was  so  arranged  that  he  should  come  out  im¬ 
mediately.  Early  in  May,  Mr.  Danforth  embarked  with  his 
family,  house-hold  goods,  and  farming  utensils,  in  two  flat- 
bottomed  boats,  accompanied  by  three  boatmen,  and  after  a 
tedious  voyage  up  the  Mohawk  River,  through  Oneida  Lake 
and  River,  and  Onondaga  Lake,  landed  at  the  mouth  of  On¬ 
ondaga  Creek.  Here  they  met  Mr.  Webster,  and  Mr.  Dan- 
forth’s  son,  Asa,  a  young  man,  who  with  Comfort  Tyler  had 
been  sent  across  the  country  with  the  stock  intended  for  the 
new  settlement,  and  who  had  arrived  some  time  in  advance  of 
the  boats.  The  boats  were  here  lightened  of  their  freight  and 
pushed  up  the  creek  to  the  place  where  Mr.  D.  settled,  a  little 
south  of  Onondaga  Hollow,  May  22d,  1788.  The  head  civil 
chief  of  the  Onondagas  at  this  time,  was  called  Ca-whic-do- 
ta,  and  the  second,  Ta-whis-quanta.  The  family  of  Mr.  D. 
were  treated  with  great  kindness  by  these  chiefs,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  which  they  were  subject  to  many  privations,  and  at  times 
were  much  alarmed  for  their  personal  safety  by  the  vindictive 
spirit  manifested  by  the  baser  Indians,  brought  on  by  the  free 
use  of  intoxicating  drinks.  There  wrere  two  traders,  Adam 
Campbell,  and  Alexander  Mabie,  who  sold  goods  to  the  Indi¬ 
ans,  and  also  strong  drink,  who  resided  at  the  Hollow.  And 
it  was  a  practice  with  many  of  the  Indians  to  indulge  in  ex¬ 
cessive  drinking,  and  while  under  the  influence  of  the  poison, 
were  boisterous  and  ugly.  Instances  were  not  uncommon 
among  themselves,  to  quarrel,  fight,  and  kill  each  other  upon 
the  slightest  provocation.  Murders  were  not  unfrequent,  caus¬ 
ed  by  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  sold  by  the  two  white 
men.  The  chiefs  and  sober  portion  of  the  tribe  wished  hear¬ 
tily  to  be  rid  of  them,  for  they  were  the  cause  of  all  quarrels, 
affrays  and  blood-shed.  At  one  time,  in  the  dead  of  night, 
the  Danforth  family  were  roused  from  their  slumbers  by  the 


110 


ONONDAGA. 


yells  of  the  Indians,  and  before  they  reached  the  scene  of 
strife,  one  lay  dead,  murdered  by  the  hand  of  his  own  brother. 
The  head  chief,  Cawhicdota,  an  excellent  man,  remonstrated 
with  the  traders  for  selling  liquor  to  his  people,  and  engaged 
Major  Danforth  and  Comfort  Tyler  to  use  their  influence  to 
have  them  desist,  but  all  to  no  purpose,  the  traffic  was  still 
continued ;  and  what  was  worse,  the  villains  offered  the  Indi¬ 
ans  a  barrel  of  rum,  and  every  Indian  a  new  knife  and  toma¬ 
hawk,  if  they  would  drive  Hatecolhotwas,  (Major  Danforth, 
the  man  who  plows  the  ground,)  and  his  family  away.  Upon 
this  promise,  a  large  number  of  Indians  prepared  themselves 
to  carry  the  designs  of  the  traders  into  execution.  They  had 
assembled  at  the  castle,  armed  with  their  rifles  and  tomahawks. 
One  seized  a  burning  brand,  and  all  were  soon  on  their  way 
to  the  house  of  Major  Danforth,  bent  on  the  destruction  of 
the  family  and  their  habitation.  The  good  old  chief,  Cawhic¬ 
dota,  found  means  of  communicating  the  alarm  to  the  family, 
boldly  interposed  his  authority  in  their  behalf,  and  finally  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  quieting  their  rage,  and  in  inducing  them  to  relin¬ 
quish  their  unhallowed  design.  Long  and  faithfully  the  old 
chief  watched  these  nefarious  traders,  and  his  faithless  clans¬ 
men.  He  kept  continually  advised  of  any  hostile  movements, 
and  as  often  conveyed  the  evil  intelligence  meditated  against 
his  white  friends;  and  it  was  entirely  owing  to  his  authority 
and  kindness  that  the  whites  were  preserved  from  destruction. 
Such  was  one  of  the  many  instances  of  peril  and  alarm  with 
which  this  family  were  frequently  visited.  Amid  such  scenes 
of  trial  and  suffering,  it  is  not  unnatural  to  suppose  that  a 
woman,  who  had  been  bred  among  the  comforts  and  luxuries 
of  civilized  life,  should  have  a  desire  to  visit  her  once  cheer¬ 
ful  home,  surrounded  as  it  •was  by  friends  and  companions, 
made  delightful  by  former  social  intercourse.  Still  she  mur¬ 
mured  not,  nor  did  a  syllable  of  regret  escape  her  lips.  Seven 
long  and  dreary  months  had  passed  and  she  had  not  so  much 
as  seen  the  face  of  a  white  woman.  It  is  true,  the  Indian 
women  showed  her  no  little  kindness,  but  they  could  not  be 
her  companions,  they  spoke  not  her  language ;  their  conver- 


TOWNS O  NONDAGA. 


Ill 


sation  was  by  signs  ;  there  could  be  no  kindred  sympathy  nor 
congenial  spirit.  In  December  a  visit  was  proposed  to  their 
former  home.  Major  Danforth,  with  his  wife  and  child,  set 
out  on  a  sled,  with  an  axe-man  before  to  clear  the  way.  The 
first  night  they  lodged  “  onboard1  at  Chittenango.  The  next 
night  they  were  the  honored  guests  of  the  hospitable  Skenan- 
doa,  at  Oneida  Castle  ;  the  third  night  they  lodged  with  their 
esteemed  friend,  Judge  White,  their  nearest  white  neighbor 
at  Sadaquate.  The  greeting  was  a  joyful  one,  old  tales  were 
revived,  the  cheering  smile  of  welcome  was  heartily  extended, 
their  hearts  were  made  glad,  their  ages  were  renewed,  old 
things  were  done  away,  and  all  things  became  new ;  and  none 
but  those  who  have  experienced  like  privations  can  appreciate 
or  realize  their  joy.  After  a  short  stay,  they  proceeded  to 
Brookfield,  Massachusetts,  the  home  of  her  childhood.  About 
the  middle  of  March,  their  visits  being  completed,  they  set 
out  for  home,  and  arrived  after  an  absence  of  about  three 
months.  During  their  absence  the  male  portion  of  the  family 
had  provided  for  themselves ;  their  household  duties  had  not 
had  the  assistance  of  female  hands,  nor  their  wardrobe  felt 
the  touches  of  female  dexterity.  It  was  a  time  of  universal 
rejoicing ;  even  the  savages  most  heartily  welcomed  them 
back. 

The  spring  of  1789  opened  propitiously.  Active  prepara¬ 
tions  were  made  for  the  cultivation  of  spring  crops.  Pota¬ 
toes  were  brought  from  Whitestown  for  seed.  Their  own  crops 
were  put  in  ;  the  lands  of  the  Indians  were  prepared,  sowed 
and  planted  after  the  fashion  of  the  whites.  The  young  men, 
Tyler  and  Danforth,.  Jr.,  now  thought  it  expedient  for  them  to 
visit  the  land  of  their  birth,  for  they  had  left  behind  them  at¬ 
tachments  of  the  tenderest  kind.  Matrimony  was  intended, 
and  it  would  have  been  most  cruel  to  interpose  objections. 
They  departed  in  high  spirits,  and  in  due  time  returned  with 
their  wives,  and  Mr.  John  Brown  and  family.  In  the  course 
of  events  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Asa  Danforth,  Jr.,  became  the  father 
and  mother  of  the  first  white  child  born  in  the  county,  the 
late  Mrs.  Amanda  Phillips,  wife  of  the  late  Col.  Phillips,  of 


112 


ONONDAGA. 


Syracuse,  and  mother  of  Mrs.  Outwater.  She  was  horn  14th 
October,  1789.  Prospects  became  more  cheering,  these  were 
additions  that  made  society — society  happy,  cheerful  and  gay. 
The  former  gloominess  of  their  situation  was  in  a  good  degree 
dispelled.  But  upon  all  this  there  was  a  draw-back.  These 
pioneers  suffered  severely  for  want  of  a  variety  of  food.  The 
nearest  place  at  which  flour  could  be  obtained  was  at  Herki¬ 
mer,  seventy-five  miles  distant,  no  mills  as  yet  having  been 
erected  nearer.  The  first  substitute  for  a  mill,  was  made  by 
Major  Danforth,  in  a  white  oak  stump,  near  his  house.  It 
was  dug  out  about  three  feet  deep  and  two  feet  in  diameter. 
Half  a  bushel  could  be  ground  at  a  time,  by  means  of  a  huge 
wooden  pestle,  worked  with  a  spring  pole,  in  appearance  not 
unlike  an  old  fashioned  well-sweep.  After  the  grain  had  been 
pounded  awhile,  it  was  the  custom  to  sift  the  finer  particles 
out,  and  return  the  coarser  to  undergo  a  further  grinding. 
Wheat  was  sometimes  pounded  in  this  way,  but  could  not  be 
converted  into  flour ;  it  was  used  for  puddings  and  coarser 
cookery,  not  for  bread.  Wheat  flour  brought  from  Herkimer 
was  used  sparingly,  and  in  cases  of  sickness.  Hot  long  after¬ 
wards,  Major  Danforth  purchased  a  small  hand  mill,  with 
which  to  grind  his  wheat.  It  was  not  much  larger  than  a  good 
sized  coffee  mill ;  the  hopper  would  hold  perhaps  half  a  peck  ; 
with  this  they  converted  some  wheat  into  ordinary  flour,  but 
it  had  all  to  be  sifted. 

About  this  time  Major  Danforth,  journeying  eastward, 
stopped  at  a  public  house  on  the  Herkimer  flats.  The  land¬ 
lord’s  name  was  Shoemaker.  A  colored  man  came  to  him  and 
said,  “  wont  you  buy  me,  massa  ?”  “  What  is  your  name  ?” 

“Jack  Shoemaker,  sir.”  “Do  you  think  you  can  learn  to 
grind  corn  in  my  stump  mill,  Jack,  and  grind  wheat  in  my 
hand  mill  ?”  “  0  yes,  massa,  me  learn  quick — me  know  how 

to  work  in  mill  now,  massa.”  He  concluded  the  bargain  with 
Jack’s  master,  procured  some  provisions  for  him,  and  sent  him 
on  to  the  Hollow,  giving  him  a  letter  to  carry  to  his  new  mis¬ 
tress.  You  must  go  in,  Jack,  and  tell  her  you  belong  to  mas¬ 
sa  Danforth,  and  ask  her  where  is  the  mill  in  which  you  are 


TOWNS.— ONONDAGA. 


113 


to  grind  corn.  Jack  made  all  possible  diligence,  and  in  due 
time  arrived  at  the  Hollow.  He  stood  a  long  time  and  looked 
at  the  house,  doubting  whether  it  could  be  the  right  place  ; 
every  thing  answered  the  description  exactly,  but  there  was 
no  building  towering  up,  to  Jack’s  notions  of  a  mill.  He 
therefore  trudged  on  eighteen  miles  further,  to  the  house  of 
Mr.  Josiah  Buck,  then  the  nearest  neighbor  west.  He  show¬ 
ed  the  letter  to  Mrs.  Buck,  who  quickly  judged  his  mistake, 
kindly  kept  him  till  morning,  and  set  him  on  the  road  back 
again,  charging  him  to  stop  at  the  house  by  the  creek,  which 
was  the  right  one,  and  ask  his  mistress  where  his  master’s  mill 
was ;  all  of  which  Jack  good  humoredly  performed.  But  the 
reader  must  judge  of  the  poor  fellow’s  consternation  when 
told,  that  the  only  mill  in  the  country  was  in  that  large  oak 
stump,  in  front  of  the  door,  with  a  huge  pestle  attached  to  a 
sweep.  At  that  early  day  many  of  the  ablest  inhabitants, 
held  colored  persons  as  slaves,  whose  duty  it  was  made  to 
pound  the  corn,  a  task  of  no  ordinary  accomplishment.  Hence 
the  origin  of  the  term  “  niggering  corn ” — now  obsolete.  Not 
satisfied  with  this  mode  of  doing  things,  Major  Danforth’s 
mind  was  bent  on  erecting  mills  of  his  own,  which  he  thought 
would  prove  a  great  inducement  to  people  to  settle  in  the 
country.  Accordingly,  in  1792,  he  went  to  Utica,  employed 
hands  and  commenced  building  a  saw-mill.  He  had  in  1791, 
became  possessed  of  the  lot  number  eiglity-one,  township  of 
Manlius,  (now  De  Witt,)  moved  there  temporarily  in  the  spring 
of  ’92,  and  during  that  summer,  erected  the  first  saw  mill  in 
the  county,  on  the  Butternut  Creek,  about  a  mile  north  of 
Jamesville,  (now  Dunlop’s  Mills.)  The  workmen  brought  on 
foot  all  the  necessary  gearing  for  the  mill,  and  Indians  were  em¬ 
ployed  to  bring  nails  from  Utica.  The  mill  was  first  covered 
with  bark.  Major  Danforth  brought  the  saw  from  Old  Fort 
Schuyler  on  his  shoulder.  No  boards  were  used  in  the  county 
till  they  were  sawed  at  this  mill.  In  1793,  Major  Danforth 
erected  his  grist  mill,  near  the  sawmill.  This  work  progress¬ 
ed  much  more  expeditiously  than  the  first,  for  much  of  the 
timber,  and  all  other  lumber,  was  readily  prepared  at  the  saw 

b  8 


114 


ONONDAGA. 


mill.  One  of  the  greatest  inconveniences  was,  that  there  was 
no  road  by  which  to  bring  on  the  stones,  bolt,  and  other 
bulky  and  heavy  articles ;  however,  all  obstacles  were  over¬ 
come.  Hands  were  hired  as,  far  off  as  Utica  and  Whitestown. 
It  took  over  a  week  to  accomplish  the  raising,  which  was  at¬ 
tended  by  able  bodied  representatives  from  every  settlement 
within  twenty-five  miles  around.  Bark  huts  were  erected  for 
their  accommodation,  and  so  great  was  the  anxiety  of  the 
scattering  inhabitants  of  the  surrounding  country,  to  have 
these  mills  completed,  that  several  men  labored  faithfully  many 
days  without  pay.  After  the  raising,  the  whole  number  pre¬ 
sent  were  formed  in  line,  by  the  master  builder,  Mr.  Abel  My- 
rick,  and  mustered  sixty-four  all  told,  including  Indians.  At 
the  raising  of  these  mills,  the  old  fashioned  practice  of  using 
strong  drink  on  public  occasions,  was  followed.  The  article 
used  at  this  time,  was  St.  Croix  rum ;  the  beverage,  whiskey, 
at  that  early  day,  was  not  known.  The  flowing  bowl  had 
passed  freely,  and  the  spirits  of  all  were  buoyant.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  labors  of  raising,  it  was  resolved  to  have  the 
sharpness  of  the  liquor  modified,  by  the  addition  of  sweeten¬ 
ing.  Molasses  and  sugar  were  eagerly  inquired  for,  but 
neither  were  to  be  found,  and  such  was  the  scarcity  of  these 
commodities,  that  they  were  most  diligently  sought  for  in  vain. 
Black-strap,  sling,  toddy,  punch  and  egg-nog,  were  not  to  be 
had  in  their  usual  forms.  Nothing  daunted,  they  determined 
on  employing  a  substitute.  A  consultation  was  held  as  to 
what  it  should  be, — the  result  of  their  deliberations  was,  that 
as  neither  sugar,  molasses  or  honey,  could  be  procured,  Indi¬ 
an  meal,  being  the  sweetest  known  substance  in  the  country, 
it  should  be  the  substitute.  Accordingly  the  rum  was  mixed 
with  Indian  meal— the  improved  beverage  flowed  merrily 
around — all  declared  it  was  the  very  best  the  country  afforded, 
as  it  served  a  three-fold  purpose,  viz. :  drink,  victuals,  and 
if  too  freely  used,  it  provided  lodgings  also.  From  this  time 
forward  Major  Danforth’s  reputation  became  established  as  a 
thorough-going  business  man,  ever  ready  and  willing  to  em¬ 
bark  in  all  the  important  improvements  of  the  country,  and 


TO  VV'NS.— ONONDAGA  .—AS  A  DANFORT  II.  115 


henceforth  became  identified  with  every  thing  interesting  and 
useful.  The  adventures,  trials  and  labors  of  Major  Danforth 
and  family,  would  of  themselves  furnish  materials  for  an  in¬ 
teresting  volume. 


Asa  Danforth,  was  born  at  Worcester,  Massachusetts, 
July  6,  1746.  He  early  evinced  a  desire  for  military  distinc¬ 
tion,  and  enrolled  himself  in  the  militia,  at  the  age  of  four¬ 
teen.  At  the  commencement  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
he  entered  upon  the  service  of  his  country  with  a  captain’s 
commission,  in  command  of  a  company  of  militia.  He  be¬ 
longed  to  the  regiment  of  Col.  Danforth  Keys,  and  was  en¬ 
gaged  in  the  battle  of  Lexington.  The  official  papers  of  Capt. 
Danforth  were  preserved  by  him  to  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
have  since  been  placed  among  the  archives  of  the  Historical 
Society,  at  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  where  they  still  re¬ 
main. 

At  the  instance  of  General  Israel  Putnam,  Capt.  Danforth 
joined  the  army  of  the  United  States,  and  served  through  the 
war  as  we  have  been  informed,  with  a  Major’s  rank  and  com¬ 
mission. 

At  the  time  ho  entered  the  army,  he  was  the  owner  of  ex¬ 
tensive  iron  works,  which  property  he  sold,  and  received  his 
pay  for,  in  Continental  money,  which  soon  after  depreciated  ; 
and,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  found  himself  destitute  of 
property.  This  was  the  cause  of  his  leaving  Massachusetts, 
and  of  his  seeking  a  new  home,  whereby  his  shattered  fortune 
might  be  repaired.  He  located  himself  in  the  town  of  May- 
field,  Montgomery  County,  where  he  spent  a  few  years,  and 
where  he  had  his  first  interview  with  Mr.  Webster. 

General  Danforth  occupied  a  wide  space  in  the  early  his¬ 
tory  of  Onondaga  County.  His  whole  life  was  one  of  event¬ 
ful  interest.  He  passed  through  all  the  trials  and  sufferings 
incident  to  a  patriot  and  soldier  of  that  “  mighty  period  which 
tried  men’s  souls” — the  American  Revolution  ;  and,  after 
having  lost  the  means  of  securing  for  himself  and  family,  a 
competent  support  through  life,  by  his  earnestness  to  servo 


116 


ONONDAGA. 


Lis  country,  he  was  forced,  as  it  were,  penniless  upon  the 
world.  In  this  hour  of  his  adversity,  his  fortitude  and  cour¬ 
age  never  forsook  him.  These  traits,  with  which  in  a  re¬ 
markable  degree  he  was  endowed,  enabled  him  successfully  to 
stem  the  torrent  of  disappointment  and  misfortune,  and  ex¬ 
emplified  in  a  remarkable  manner,  the  steadfast  resolution  and 
indomitable  perseverence  of  the  man.  Nothing  daunted,  he 
pushed  far  beyond  the  abodes  of  civilized  men,  and  voluntarily 
shared  all  the  toils  and  dangers  attendant  upon  the  life  of  a 
forester,  isolated  from  the  blessings  of  civilization,  in  a  land 
inhabited  only  by  savages.  With  a  character,  bold,  deter¬ 
mined,  independent  and  uncompromising,  where  his  own  inte¬ 
rests  and  the  good  of  his  fellow  men  were  to  be  advanced ; 
with  a  physical  constitution  capable  of  enduring  every  vicissi¬ 
tude  of  climate  and  fatigue  ;  with  a  mind  thoroughly  imbued 
with  every  lofty  sentiment  of  courtesy  and  honor  comporting 
with  the  dignity  of  a  citizen  and  a  soldier,  he  was  most  ad¬ 
mirably  calculated  to  assume  the  high  responsibility  and  posi¬ 
tion  of  a  pioneer  in  a  wilderness  land. 

Upon  his  arrival  at  Onondaga,  he  found  himself  and  his 
family  the  only  white  persons  (except  Webster)  in  the  country. 
Judge  White  at  Sadaquate,  (Whitesboro)  fifty  miles  distant, 
was  his  nearest  neighbor  on  the  east.  A  British  garrison 
was  still  kept  at  Oswego,  which  took  every  occasion  to  foment 
discords  ami  jealousies  between  the  Indians  and  their  new 
neighbors,  which  was  a  source  of  continual  annoyance  to  them. 
The  tide  of  emigration  had  not  then  set  towards  the  wilds  of 
western  New-York.  Single-handed  and  alone,  he  encountered 
the  hardships,  privations  and  discouragements  of  a  frontier 
settler,  and  prepared  the  way  for  others  less  bold  and  adven¬ 
turous  than  himself ;  and,  as  the  lonely  woodmen,  one  by  one 
wended  their  way  into  this  land  of  promise  and  prospective 
plenty,  this  fatherly  man  kindly  took  them  by  the  hand,  wel¬ 
comed  them  on,  and  pointed  out  to  them  the  most  favorable 
places  for  habitation. 

He  was  a  striking  example  of  pure  and  disinterested  be¬ 
nevolence.  No  man  who  passed  his  hospitable  threshold,  but 


TOWNS.— ONONDAGA.— ASA  DANFORTH.  117 

l 

was  received  with  kindness  and  affection,  and  none  retired 
from  it  but  with  feelings  of  regret.  During  a  long  and  gloomy 
period,  his  house  was  the  seat  of  hospitality,  the  resting  place 
of  the  traveler,  the  home  of  the  stranger,  and  the  abode  of 
charity.  The  bounties  of  his  cabin  were  freely  dispensed  to 
all  who  entered  ;  and,  although  thousands  shared  the  bles¬ 
sings  of  his  board,  it  was  always  without  money  and  without 
price. 

From  his  early  sojourn  here,  and  for  a  long  period,  he  was 
personally  and  intimately  known  to  every  individual  on  the 
Military  Tract.  He  was  looked  up  to  as  a  father,  and  enjoyed 
for  many  years,  the  high  consideration  of  bearing  paternal 
sway  among  the  primitive  settlers  of  this  favored  country. 
He  knew  and  was  known  of  every  one ;  his  counsel  and  ad¬ 
vice  were  sought  and  received  with  respect  and  deference,  and 
none  had  occasion  to  regret  their  solicitations  or  confidence. 

His  capacity  and  enterprise  fitted  him  for  almost  every  sta¬ 
tion  and  duty  in  active  life  ;  hence,  he  became  identified  with 
every  interest  which  tended  to  promote  the  welfare  of  his  fel¬ 
low-men,  and  advance  the  prosperity  of  the  country. 

He  enjoyed  in  an  eminent  degree  the  confidence  and  esteem 
of  Ins  fellow  citizens.  Consequently,  he  was  often  called  upon 
to  fill  the  most  important  offices  of  trust  and  honor  in  the 
county,  and  he  performed  the  duties  assigned  him,  with  credit 
to  himself  and  with  satisfaction  to  his  constituents. 

For  a  number  of  years  he  was  a  Judge  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas ;  was  one  term  a  Senator  for  the  Western 
District ;  and  Superintendent  of  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs, 
and  held  numerous  other  offices  of  less  imoprtance,  in  all  which 
stations,  he  exhibited  a  high  degree  of  capacity  and  manly 
bearing.  Besides,  he  was  for  many  years,  from  the  first  or¬ 
ganization  of  the  militia,  the  highest  military  officer  in  Onon¬ 
daga  County ;  ascending  the  several  grades  from  Major  to 
Major  General ;  at  a  period  too,  when  a  military  commission 
implied  worth,  and  conferred  distinction. 

He  was  a  man  possessing  a  large  fund  of  general  intelli¬ 
gence,  was  remarkable  for  his  social  conversational  powers, 


118 


ONONDAGA. 


for  the  kindness  of  his  disposition,  his  readiness  to  oblige  his 
neighbors,  and  those  refined  and  softer  feelings  'which  adorn 
the  human  heart. 

After  a  long  and  active  life,  more  than  thirty  years  of 
■which  was  spent  at  Onondaga ;  during  the  whole  period  of 
which  he  was  a  leading  man  in  all  the  most  important  enter¬ 
prises  of  the  day,  he  ceased  from  his  labors. 

He  may  be  with  propriety  (as  he  often  has  been)  styled  the 
father  of  the  county  ;  an  appellation  well  deserved. 

He  died  at  his  residence,  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  September 
2d,  1818,  in  the  seventy-third  year  of  his  age,  universally  la¬ 
mented  and  mourned  by  an  extensive  circle  of  friends. 

Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  was  born  9th  of  March,  1772,  at 
Lenox,  Massachusetts.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth 
College,  with  the  class  of  1790.  He  entered  upon  the  pur¬ 
suit  of  his  legal  studies,  with  Thomas  It.  Gould,  Esq.,  and 
closed  them  in  the  office  of  Joseph  Kirkland,  Esq.,  of  Utica, 
immediately  after  which,  in  1794,  he  came  to  Onondaga  Hol¬ 
low,  and  opened  a  law  office,  being  the  first  lawyer  who  es¬ 
tablished  himself  in  the  county.  He  soon  became  distin¬ 
guished  for  his  legal  capacity,  and  during  his  life  exercised 
a  prominent  influence  throughout  the  county. 

He  became  widely  known  as  a  military  man,  was  Lieuten¬ 
ant  Colonel  Commandant,  in  1809,  in  which  capacity  he  was 
extremely  active  and  useful  during  the  war  of  1812.  He 
was  elevated  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General  in  1818,  and 
to  the  rank  of  a  Major  General,  in  1820. 

General  Wood  was  a  gentleman  of  marked  and  well  defined 
characteristics,  both  of  mind  and  manners,  and  no  one  could 
be  much  in  his  society  without  understanding  many  traits  of 
his  character,  while  others  were  not  so  readily  disclosed  to 
the  public  gaze. 

In  his  manners  he  was  often  abrupt,  sometimes  even  blunt 
and  perhaps  rough,  but  his  thoughts  flowed  with  great  rapid¬ 
ity  and  power,  while  he  often  gave  to  them  a  sudden  and  im¬ 
pulsive  expression. 


TOWNS.— ONONDAGA.  — T.  M.  WOOD. 


119 


As  a  lawyer,  it  is  perhaps  sufficient  to  say,  that  in  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century,  when  Kellogg,  and  Forman,  and 
Sabin,  were  in  the  height  of  their  practice  and  the  zenith  of 
their  powers,  the  Onondaga  bar  had  no  man  superior  to  Gen. 
Wood,  and  perhaps  not  his  equal,  in  all  things.  If  the  laws 
of  real  property  and  the  action  of  ejectment,  (which  then  em¬ 
braced  the  most  important  suits  tried  in  the  county,)  were 
better  understood  by  Forman  and  Kellogg,  Gen.  Wood  fully 
equalled  them  in  his  general  acquaintance  with  the  common 
law,  in  the  investigation  and  preparation  of  his  causes,  and 
especially  in  the  sagacity  and  astuteness  which  he  brought 
into  exercise  on  the  trial  of  his  suits.  He  omitted  to  present 
no  favorable  view  of  his  clients  case,  no  point  which  fortified 
his  action  or  his  defense.  And  on  the  other  hand,  he  watch¬ 
ed  his  opponent  with  an  eagle  eye,  never  failing  to  discover 
the  weak  points  in  his  case,  or  to  make  every  needful  objec¬ 
tion  in  the  progress  of  the  cause.  His  client’s  rights  were 
safe,  not  in  his  learning  and  abilities  only,  but  also  in  his  re¬ 
markable  care  and  his  unwearied  devotion.  He  looked  upon 
his  clients  as  his  wards,  and  extended  his  guardianship  to  the 
protection  of  all  their  rights.  At  about  the  age  of  fifty,  Gen. 
Wood’s  large  real  estate,  and  the  necessary  cares  of  increas¬ 
ing  property  and  other  pursuits,  began  rapidly  to  withdraw 
him  from  his  profession,  and  he  gave  but  little  attention  to  its 
duties,  except  so  far  as  was  necessary  in  his  own  business. 
For  twenty  years  and  more,  during  most  of  which  time  he 
was  in  company  with  the  late  Hon.  George  Hall,  Gen.  Wood 
had  a  very  extensive  practice.  The  firms  of  Wood  &  Hall, 
who  were  Democrats,  and  Forman  &  Sabin,  who  were  Feder¬ 
alists,  doing  the  most  business  by  far,  of  any  then  in  the  coun¬ 
ty,  unless  their  practice  may  have  been  equalled  by  that  of 
Daniel  Kellogg,  at  Skaneateles.  The  Hon.  Samson  Mason, 
the  Hon.  Philo  Gridley,  and  the  Hon.  Asher  Tyler,  are  some  of 
the  many  students  who  laid  the  foundation  of  their  legal  learn¬ 
ing  under  his  instructions. 

During  the  war  of  1812,  he  was  a  Colonel,  and  within 
twenty-four  hours  after  notice  of  the  threatened  descent  of 


120 


ONONDAGA. 


the  British  at  Oswego,  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  scene  of  dan¬ 
ger,  with  most  of  the  regiment  under  his  command.  And 
again,  when  the  alarm  of  an  invasion  at  Sackett’s  Harbor 
was  given  soon  after,  Gen.  Wood,  at  a  moments  warning,  dis¬ 
patched  messengers  throughout  the  county,  aroused  the  slum¬ 
bering  warriors  of  the  Onondaga  nation,  and  with  his  regi¬ 
ment  and  Indian  allies,  at  once  repaired  to  the  north.  As 
an  officer,  he  was  in  appearance,  remarkably  fine  looking,  ac¬ 
tive  and  energetic,  and  had  an  opportunity  presented,  those 
who  knew  him,  will  not  doubt  but  his  conduct  would  have 
commanded  the  approbation  of  the  public,  and  the  admiration 
of  his  friends. 

As  a  politician,  Gen.  Wood  was  ardent,  active,  untiring  and 
honest.  He  embraced  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  par¬ 
ty  in  early  life,  and  supported  them  with  ability  and  vigor. 
When  the  Democratic  party  was  divided,  he  became  a  Clin¬ 
tonian,  and  continued  such  till  the  death  of  Mr.  Clinton,  and 
with  most  of  the  leaders  of  that  party,  supported  Gen.  Jack- 
son,  in  1828;  and  left  him  in  1832,  or  before.  He  took  an 
active  interest  in  public  affairs  till  the  close  of  his  life,  and  at 
all  times  judged  and  spoke  of  public  men  and  public  affairs, 
with  all  that  acuteness  and  discrimination,  for  which  he  was 
remarkable. 

Gen.  Wood  was  celebrated  throughout  the'  State  for  the 
pungency  of  his  wit,  and  quickness  and  severity  of  his  retort. 
He  was  never  at  a  loss  for  a  reply,  either  at  the  bar  or  in  pri¬ 
vate  conversation,  and  the  opponent  who  escaped  from  his  wit 
and  his  satire  uninjured,  was  fortunate  indeed.  Onondaga  was 
almost  as  well  known  in  the  State,  by  the  wit  of  Gen.  Wood, 
as  by  the  sarcasms  of  Gen.  Root,  or  the  enterprise  and  fore¬ 
sight  of  Forman  and  Geddes. 

As  a  neighbor,  Gen.  Wood  was  kind  and  obliging,  ready 
at  all  times  to  grant  those  little  daily  kindnesses  which  good 
neighborhood  so  constantly  require. 

As  a  father,  no  man  was  more  indulgent  or  more  affection¬ 
ate.  With  something  of  a  rough  exterior  and  an  austere 
manner,  fountains  of  the  warmest  affection  for  his  children, 


TOWNS.— ONONDAGA. — T.  M.  WOOD. 


121 


ever  flowed  from  his  heart.  In  speaking  of  them  at  the  age 
of  half  a  century,  he  would  often  melt  down  to  tears.  Though 
some  of  them  sometimes  annoyed  him  by  their  indiscretions, 
and  perhaps  even  irritated  his  rather  impulsive  nature,  still, 
perhaps  the  most  marked  characteristic  of  Gen.  Wood  was 
his  fondness  for  his  children,  and  his  acute  susceptibility  to 
all  that  affected  their  happiness  or  their  fame. 

Gen.  Wood’s  fondness  for  real  estate  was  quite  a  passion. 
He  was  ready  to  buy,  but  never  to  sell.  He,  at  an  early  day 
became  a  very  large  landholder  in  the  county — at  Manlius,  at 
Liverpool,  Salina,  Onondaga  Hollow,  and  between  the  Hol¬ 
low  and  Syracuse,  and  at  various  other  places.  This  passion 
also  may  have  led  to,  or  sprung  out  of  another — a  decided  fond¬ 
ness  for  agriculture — at  least  its  theory  and  study.  Gen.  \Yood 
was  not  a  good  practical  farmer.  His  lands  were  far  too 
extensive,  and  his  other  pursuits  were  far  too  numerous  and 
pressing.  But  he  took  a  great  interest  in  agricultural  pur¬ 
suits,  the  introduction  of  improved  breeds  of  cattle,  and  in 
the  meetings  and  discussions  of  Agricultural  Societies. 

Gen.  Wood  was  never  idle.  If  not  engaged  in  the  active 
duties  of  life,  with  which  he  was  generally  overwhelmed,  he 
was  storing  his  mind  with  those  funds  of  knowledge,  which 
combined  with  his  wit,  and  a  happy  and  joyous  disposition, 
made  him  a  most  agreeable,  entertaining  and  instructive  com¬ 
panion.  He  knew  the  history  of  Onondaga,  from  its  early 
settlement  till  his  death,  in  all  the  minuteness  of  its  detail — 
had  been  himself  a  prominent  actor  in  all  its  stages,  and  by 
the  aid  of  a  careful  observation,  and  a  most  retentive  memory, 
was  furnished  with  an  amount  of  knowledge  on  this  subject- 
not  now  possessed  by  any  of  his  survivors.  This,  he  was  at 
all  times  ready  and  happy  to  impart,  and  whoever  drew  from 
that  fountain  would  be  pleased  to  repair  to  it  again. 

Gen.  Wood  was  truthful  in  all  his  intercourse,  moral  in  his 
habits,  and  possessed  of  a  nice  sense  of  honor.  When  se¬ 
verely  pressed  for  money,  and  most  anxious  to  raise  it,  and 
willing  to  give  his  own  note,  well  endorsed,  to  obtain  it,  he 


122 


ONONDAGA. 


lias  been  known  to  refuse  to  promise  on  liis  honor  to  meet  the 
note  when  due,  as  that  would  compel  him  to  pay  it. 

General  Wood  had  his  faults,  as  well  as  his  virtues,  and  the 
truth  of  history  requires  that  they  should  not  be  passed  over 
in  silence.  He  was  never  popular.  Lawyers  are,  from  the 
nature  of  their  profession,  almost  obliged  to  make  enemies  ; 
but  General  Wood  had  more  than  the  usual  number.  There 
were  many  of  them  made  no  doubt  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
legal  proceedings — some  perhaps  by  the  pungency  of  his  wit 
or  the  bitterness  of  his  sarcasm,  but  more,  probably  from  other 
causes.  His  resolute  determination  not  to  sell  his  real  estate 
added  to  a  most  deeply  seated  habit  of  procrastination,  eventu¬ 
ally  very  much  embarrassed  him  in  his  pecuniary  affairs.  He 
was  at  an  early  day  sued  more  or  less,  and  finally  he  paid  a 
large  amount  of  his  debts  in  executions.  These  suits  he  often 
delayed,  by  pleas  or  demurrers,  using  the  means  which  the 
Courts  then  furnished  to  obtain  time  ;  sometimes,  perhaps,  by 
technical  objections  to  obtain  a  bill  of  costs,  or  defeat  a  just 
cause  of  action.  This  was  one  ground  of  complaint.  Being 
pressed  by  his  own  debts,  it  is  also  said  that  he  sometimes 
pressed  his  own  debtors  more  severely  than  he  should  have 
done,  and  that  his  conduct  was  unkind  and  oppressive.  This 
may  have  been  so,  but  the  state  of  his  own  private  affairs  must 
be  his  apology,  not  his  justification.  He  also  had  more  or  less 
litigation  with  his  father,  and  perhaps  with  some  other  of  his 
relatives,  and  with  former  partners  in  business,  particularly 
with  George  Hall  and  Benajah  Byington.  The  suit  with  Hall 
was  commenced  about  the  year  1825,  and  was  a  bill  filed  by 
Hall  for  the  settlement  of  their  partnership  accounts.  This 
suit  was  more  than  twenty  years  in  the  Court  of  Chancery, 
and  was  finally  brought  to  a  close  by  the  Executors  of  Hall, 
on  the  One  side,  and  the  surviving  Administrator  of  Wood  on 
the  other.  The  history  of  the  Byington  suit  is  very  much  the 
same.  He  was  considered  litigious  in  the  community,  but  he 
did  not  bring  needless  suits,  nor  was  he  greatly  in  the  habit 
of  resorting  to  the  law ;  but  being  often  sued  himself  by  oth¬ 
ers,  and  defending  many  of  the  suits  for  delay  or  otherwise, 


TOWNS.  — ONONDAGA.  — T,  M.  WOOD.  123 


he  acquired  a  reputation  in  the  popular  mind  which  did  not 
justly  belong  to  him.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  respect¬ 
ive  merits  of  these  various  controversies,  the  effect  no  doubt 
was  to  make  General  Wood  unpopular  in  the  community,  and 
to  injure  his  reputation  to  a  certain  extent.  But  they  did  not 
destroy  the  confidence  of  his  friends  in  the  native  kindness  of 
his  heart,  the  goodness  of  his  disposition,  and  the  general  in¬ 
tegrity  of  his  character.  While  they  regretted  his  imperfec¬ 
tions,  as  we  all  should,  and  might  more  profitably  our  own, 
they  admired  him  for  his  talents,  his  learning,  and  his  wit, 
and  they  loved  him  for  his  many  social  virtues.  And  when 
the  grave  finally  shut  him  from  our  view,  few  among  us  but 
felt  that  a  great  man  had  fallen,  and  that  many  kind,  and 
generous,  and  noble  qualities  were  buried  in  his  tomb.  He 
died  at  his  residence,  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  January  10th, 
1836,  aged  sixty-four  years.* 

In  connection  with  the  distinguished  members  of  the  bar  of 
Onondaga  County,  the  names  of  William  II.  Sabin  and  George 
Hall,  Esqrs.,  deserve  a  place. 

Mr.  Sabin  commenced  the  practice  of  law  at  an  early  pe¬ 
riod,  in  company  with  Judge  Forman,  and  may  justly  take 
rank  among  the  leading  men  of  the  profession.  Without  go¬ 
ing  into  extensive  detail,  we  would  mention  that  Mr.  Sabin 
was  remarkable  for  his  minute  historical  knowledge  of  men 
and  events  connected  with  the  American  Revolution,  which 
eminently  qualified  him  for  the  management  of  ejectment  suits, 
which  in  his  time  were  most  numerous  and  important,  and  re¬ 
quired  the  utmost  skill,  talent  and  knowledge,  successfully  to 
conduct.  The  principal  witnesses  in  these  suits  were  soldiers 
of  the  Revolution.  Many  of  the  suits  were  brought,  upon 
fraudulent  claims,  which  were  supported  by  corrupt  witnesses, 
and  it  required  no  ordinary  tact  to  arrive  at  the  truth.  For 
all  emergencies  connected  with  the  management  of  these  suits, 
Mr.  Sabin  was  fully  adequate,  and  if  a  false  witness  came 


*  For  the  above  delineation  of  the  character  of  General  Wood,  the  author  is 
under  obligation  to  the  Hon.  E.  W.  Leavenworth. 


124 


ONONDAGA. 


upon  the  stand,  lie  was  sure  to  be  detected  by  the  scrutiny 
and  historical  knowledge  of  Counsellor  Sabin,  and  fortunate 
indeed  would  be  the  delinquent  who  escaped  the  lash  of  his 
censure.  Instances  might  be  multiplied  to  an  indefinite  ex¬ 
tent  relative  to  the  sagacity  and  abilities  of  Mr.  Sabin  as  a 
lawyer.  For  a  long  time  he  held  a  high  position  at  the  Onon¬ 
daga  Bar,  and  will  long  be  remembered  there  as  one  whose 
place  can  scarcely  be  supplied. 

Honorable  George  Hall  held  a  prominent  place  at  the  Bar 
of  Onondaga  County,  and  was  noted  for  his  high  legal  attain¬ 
ments,  for  the  solidity  of  his  judgment,  his  sterling  sense,  and 
many  of  those  commanding  attributes  and  characteristics  which 
have  ever  been  pre-eminent  at  the  Onondaga  Bar. 

He  was  for  a  long  time  a  partner  of  General  Wood,  held 
many  of  the  most  important  offices  in  the  county,  and  was  one 
who,  in  every  position  in  which  he  was  placed,  received  the 
confidence  and  esteem  of  his  professional  cotemporaries  and 
fellow-citizens. 

Jasper  Hopper  was  born  in  the.  city  of  New-York,  on  the 
10th  of  June,  1770.  His  father  then  owned  and  occupied  a 
house  on  the  corner  of  Ann  street  and  Broadway.  The  family 
of  Jasper  Hopper  are  of  Dutch  descent. 

Two  brothers,  Andreas  and  Matthias,  emigrated  from  Hol¬ 
land  to  New-York,  about  the  year  1620.  Andreas,  settled 
in  Bergen  County,  New-Jersey,  and  Matthias  on  the  Island 
of  Manhattan,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  ;  and  to  him  grants 
of  lands  were  made  along  the  Hudson  River,  including  Green¬ 
wich.  Andrew  Hopper,  father  of  Jasper  Hopper,  had  four 
brothers,  viz.  :  John,  Wessel,  Yellis  and  Matthew.  The  ori¬ 
ginal  Dutch  name  was  written  Hoppen. 

There  was  a  settlement  in  New-Jersey  named  Hopperstown. 
The  name  of  the  father  of  Andrew  Hopper,  was  John,  who 
was  a  Lieutenant  in  Gen.  Ilarmer’s  campaign  among  the  In¬ 
dians  ;  was  severely  wounded  in  the  battle  in  which  that  gene¬ 
ral  was  defeated,  and  left  for  dead  upon  the  field,  but  finally 
recovered. 


fjng£  lijr'  1’ .  Halp iruTI.Y 


TOWNS.— ONONDAGA.— JASPEll  HOPPER.  125 


Andrew  Hopper  removed  to  Bloomingdale,  to  a  place 
bought  of  his  brother  Yellis,  having  previously  sold  twenty 
acres  which  he  had  inherited  from  his  father,  on  the  bank  of 
the  Hudson.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  son  of  Andrew 
Hopper,  and  was  “christened”  by  Dominic  Ritzena,  by  the 
name  of  “  Casperas.”  Jasper  Hopper  was  married  to  Char¬ 
lotte  Newcomb,  October  4,  1800.  The  Newcomb  family  were 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  respectable  in  Duchess  County. 
They  are  now  in  possession  of  a  farm  which  has  been  handed 
down  through  several  generations,  now  occupied  by  John  Hop¬ 
per  Newcomb,  near  Pleasant  Valley. 

Jasper  Hopper  received  his  education  in  the  city  of  New- 
York.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  left  the  city  and  entered 
the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  State  as  a  Clerk,  where,  by  his 
diligence,  assiduity,  strict  integrity,  and  his  urbanity  of  man¬ 
ner,  he  won  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  Secretary,  and 
all  others  with  whom  he  became  acquainted  or  had  intercourse. 
While  in  Albany,  he  was  for  two  winters,  Clerk  of  the  House 
of  Assembly  ;  both  of  which  sessions,  the  House  unanimously 
voted  him  the  extra  allowance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  dol¬ 
lars.  The  duty  was  very  laborious,  and  he  was  frequently 
obliged  to  write  all  night  to  keep  up  with  the  business. 

On  the  third  of  November,  1791,  Jasper  Hopper  was  ap¬ 
pointed  Deputy  Secretary  of  State,  Lewis  Allaire  Scott  at 
that  time  being  Secretary.  He  was  then  only  twenty  years 
of  age,  and  continued  to  hold  the  office  till  the  death  of  Mr. 
Scott,  which  occurred  in  the  winter  of  1798.  Upon  the  death 
of  Mr.  Scott,  the  friends  of  Mr.  Hopper  exerted  themselves 
in  his  behalf,  to  procure  for  him  the  appointment  of  Secretary 
of  State.  Many  prominent  names  appear  on  his  petition.  Mr. 
Scott  himself,  before  his  death,  drew  up  a  memorial  to  that  effect ; 
but,  owing  to  his  youth,  rather  than  his  inexperience  and  want 
of  ability  to  perform  the  duties  of  the  office,  his  claims  were 
rejected  by  the  Council  of  Appointment,  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Tillotson  was  appointed.  Mr.  Hopper’s  services  were  however, 
considered  indispensable  to  the  office,  and  he  was  retained  as 
Deputy  Secretary,  till  he  left  for  Onondaga,  in  1802.  Dor 


126 


ONONDAGA. 


the  first  three  years,  while  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary,  he 
served  for  such  compensation  as  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Scott 
dictated,  of  which,  however,  no  complaint  was  made.  For  the 
two  succeeding  years,  he  received  the  small  allowance  of  fifty 
pounds  per  annum  from  the  State.  After  1795,  he  had  the 
whole  charge  of  the  office,  as  Mr.  Scott’s  health  did  not  per¬ 
mit  him  to  perform  any  of  the  duties,  and  received  a  reason¬ 
able  compensation.  He  was  the  immediate  predecessor  of 
the  venerable  Archibald  Campbell,  as  Deputy  Secretary  of 
State. 

In  1799,  Jasper  Hopper  was  appointed  and  admitted  an 
honorary  member  of  the  Law  Society  of  the  city  of  Albany, 
in  which  was  included  many  of  the  most  distinguished  gentle¬ 
men  of  the  bar,  in  the  State. 

In  the  spring  of  1802,  he  was  appointed  Clerk  of  the  county 
of  Onondaga,  to  which  place  he  immediately  came  with  his 
commission  in  his  pocket,  and  entered  at  once  upon  the  du¬ 
ties  of  his  office.  He  located  at  the  east  end  of  Onondaga 
Hollow,  and  kept  the  office  there  in  his  dwelling  house  for 
several  years.  Afterwards,  the  office  was  removed  to  the  west 
end  of  the  Hollow,  where  it  remained  till  its  removal  to  the 
Hill. 

In  1803,  he  received  the  appointment  of  Supreme  Court 
Commissioner,  and  in  1804,  the  appointment  of  Commission¬ 
er  for  taking  affidavits  to  be  read  in  Chancery.  In  1810,  he 
was  superceded  in  the  office  of  County  Clerk  by  G.  IV.  Olm¬ 
sted,  and  in  1811  was  re-appointed,  which  office  he  held  till 
the  year  1818. 

Jasper  Hopper  was  appointed  a  Marshal  for  taking  the 
United  States  census  of  1810,  when  the  county  of  Onondaga 
comprised  the  present  counties  of  Cortland,  Onondaga,  and 
a  part  of  Oswego.  This  laborious  duty,  he  performed  in  his 
usual  prompt  and  energetic  manner,  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  all. 

He  was  appointed  keeper  of  the  military  stores  at  the  arse¬ 
nal,  located  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  during  the  war  of  1812, 
and  afterwards  so  long  as  they  remained  in  that  location. 


TO  WNS.—  ONONDAGA.— JASPER  HOPPER.  127 


He  was  also  a  United  States  Commissary  for  the  procur¬ 
ing  and  distributing  of  rations  to  the  army,  on  their  marches 
to  and  from  the  Frontier. 

For  a  period  of  nineteen  years,  he  was  Post  Master  at  On¬ 
ondaga  Hollow,  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  the  different 
heads  of  the  Post  Office  Department,  to  such  a  degree  that 
he  was  retained  in  office  under  every  administration,  without 
distinction  of  party.  The  office  at  that  time  was  quite  an 
important  one,  being  a  distributing  office  for  the  county  and 
parts  adjacent. 

Mr..  Hopper  was  a  sincere  friend  to  the  cause  of  education  ; 
he  took  an  active  part  in  procuring  the  charter  for  Onondaga 
Academy,  was  a.  liberal  subscriber  to  the  endowment  fund  for 
that  institution,  and  aided  every  way  in  his  power,  to  estab¬ 
lish  it  on  a  firm  foundation,  and  to  make  its  condition  flour¬ 
ishing  and  prosperous.  He  was  one  of  the  Trustees  named 
in  the  original  charter  of  the  Academy,  and  continued  to  be 
one  of  the  Board  up  to  his  decease,  and  was  always  remarkbly 
prompt  and  punctual  in  his  attendance  at  all  their  meetings. 

He  was  for  a  long  time  connected  with  the  leaders  of  the 
Democratic  Republican  party  in  this  county,  remained  stead¬ 
fast  to  its  principles  to  the  end  of  his  life,  and  was  associated 
with  Gen.  Wood,  Hon.  Reuben  Humphreys,  Dr.  Rawson,  Jo¬ 
nas  Earll  and  other  distinguished  leaders  of  the  party,  in  all 
its  affairs. 

As  has  been  before  stated,  Mr.  Hopper  came  to  Onondaga 
in  1802,  at  which  time  our  county  was  comparatively  a  wilder¬ 
ness,  and  he  may  be  set  down  as  one  among  many,  who  were 
with  the  early  pioneers,  most  instrumental  in  opening  and  im¬ 
proving  the  way  of  our  county’s  prosperity. 

Mr.  Hopper  died  at  his  late  residence,  at  Onondaga  Hol¬ 
low,  June  80th,  1848,  aged  seventy-nine  years. 

He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  kindness  and  docility  of  dis¬ 
position,  very  amiable,  courteous,- social  and  obliging.  Few 
men  who  have  been  as  much  in  public  life,  escape  with  so  lit¬ 
tle  censure,  or  expose  themselves  to  fewer  assaults  from  politi- 


128 


ONONDAGA. 


cal  opponents.  His  whole  course  was  marked  by  a  strict  ad¬ 
herence  to  principle,  dictated  by  an  honest  heart. 

Entering  very  early  in  life  upon  public  duties,  he  enjoyed 
throughout  a  long  and  well  tried  political  course,  the  entire 
confidence  of  his  friends,  and  even  his  political  adversaries 
respected  and  admired  his  unflinching  integrity  and  stability 
of  purpose.  Personal  enemies,  it  is  presumed  he  had  none, 
and  those  who  held  political  opinions  different  from  his,  which 
might  have  engendered  animosities,  were  ready  to  bury  them 
with  the  close  of  his  official  career.  At  his  death,  none 
could  rise  up  and  say  he  was  not  a  pure  patriot — an  upright, 
honorable  man. 

Although  for  several  years,  age  and  infirmity  had  in  a  mea¬ 
sure  deprived  him  of  the  privileges  of  promiscuous  society ; 
still,  in  the  social  circle  in  which  he  was  enabled  to  move,  he 
was  highly  esteemed ;  and,  in  domestic  life,  he  fully  sustained 
all  of  its  most  tender  relations.  His  memory  will  long  be 
held  in  grateful  remembrance  throughout  the  county,  while 
his  name  and  character  will  be  cherished  and  revered  by  his 
numerous  relatives  and  intimate  friends. 

The  engraved  likeness  of  Mr.  Hopper  accompanying  this 
sketch,  was  taken  from  a  miniature  picture  executed  while  he 
was  Deputy  Secretary  at  the  age  of  twenty. 

The  name  of  Nicholas  Mickles,  is  one  which  deserves  to  be 
remembered  among  the  pioneers  of  Onondaga.  He  estab¬ 
lished  himself  at  the  Hollow  at  an  early  day,  and  was  distin¬ 
guished  for  his  public  spirit,  benevolence  and  liberality,  which 
tended  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  community  and  the 
public  at  large.  He  established  the  Onondaga  Furnace,  and 
carried  it  on  till  his  decease,  which  occurred  at  the  Hollow, 
in  August,  1827.  During  the  war  of  1812,  he  was  employed 
by  the  Government  to  cast  shot  and  shell  for  the  army  and 
navy.  It  was  with  regard  to  the  Government  property  at 
this  place,  that  Mr.  Secretary  Armstrong  committed  a  most 
laughable  mistake,  which  was  noticed  at  the  time  in  most  of 
the  public  prints  in  the  Union.  A  large  amount  of  shot  and 
shell  was  lying  at  the  Onondaga  Furnace,  which  was  wanted 


TOWNS O  N  O  N  D  A  G  A. 


129 


by  the  fleet  on  Lake  Ontario.  Secretary  Armstrong  directed 
one  of  the  naval  commanders  then  at  Oswego,  to  proceed 
forthwith  with  an  armed  vessel,  via.  the  Oswego  River  to 
Onondaga  Hollow,  and  remove  the  Government  property  from 
that  place  to  Oswego.  The  obstructions  at  Oswego  Falls 
were  found  to  be  quite  too  formidable  to  allow  of  the  execu¬ 
tion  of  the  Secretary’s  order,  and  the  project  was  abandoned. 
The  joke  was  too  good  to  be  kept  a  secret,  and  its  publication 
created  much  merriment  at  the  Hon.  Secretary’s  expense. 

After  the  Danforth  family,  Comfort  Tyler  and  the  Brown 
family,  there  settled  at  the  Hollow,  the  Pattersons,  Job  Tyler, 
Peter  Tenbroeck,  General  Lewis,  Cornelius  Longstreet,  Peter 
Young,  Joseph  Forman,  John  Adams,  George  Ivibbe,  Brs. 
William  and  Gurdon  Needham,  Nicholas  Mickles,  Wm.  II. 
Sabin,  Jasper  Hopper,  Aaron  Bellows,  George  Hall,  Joseph 
Swan,  and  others. 

In  the  summer  of  1796,  John  Cantine,  assisted  by  Gideon 
Seely,  under  the  direction  of  the  Surveyor  General,  surveyed 
the  Onondaga  Reservation,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  Gid¬ 
eon  Seely  and  Comfort  Tyler  bid  off,  at  the  sales  in  Albany, 
twenty-one  lots,  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  each,  at  two 
dollars  per  acre.  Mr.  Seely  made  the  road  from  Samuel  A. 
Beebe’s  to  the  south  line  of  the  town,  including  a  bridge 
across  the  west  branch  of  Onondaga  Creek.  The  first  saw 
mill  built  in  town  was  by  Turner  Fenner,  on  the  west  branch 
of  Onondaga  Creek,  in  1793.  General  Danforth  erected  a 
saw  and  grist  mill,  in  1794,  on  what  is  now  called  the  Kirk 
Farm. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  Onondaga,  was  held  at  the  house 
of  Asa  Danforth,  who  presided,  April,  1798.  Ephraim  Web¬ 
ster  was  chosen  Supervisor,  and  Jabez  Webb,  Town  Clerk ; 
Samuel  Searing,  Daniel  Earll  and  Sier  Curtis,  Assessors  ;  and 
Elisha  Alvord,  Nehemiah  Earll,  Jr.,  and  Elijah  Lawrence, 
Commissioners  of  Roads.  At  this  meeting  swine  were  voted 
to  run  at  large,  provided  they  were  yoked  and  rung.  The 
meeting  was  adjourned  to  the  house  of  Dr.  Allen  Beach. 

Annual  town  meeting  for  1799,  James  Geddes  was  chosen 

b  9 


130 


ONONDAGA. 


Supervisor,  and  Orris  Curtis,  Town  Clerk ;  John  Ellis,  Cor¬ 
nelius  Schoutens,  and  Sieur  Curtis,  Assessors.  Meeting  ad¬ 
journed  to  the  house  of  William  Laird.  Town  meeting  for 
April,  1800,  Sieur  Curtis  was  chosen  Supervisor,  and  Orris 
Curtis,  Town  Clerk. 

George  Hall,  Esq.,  opened  a  law  office  at  Onondaga  Hol¬ 
low,  in  1802.  Joshua  Forman  and  William  Id.  Sabin,  com¬ 
menced  the  practice  of  law  in  partnership,  1803.  [Me dad 
Curtis  was  a  law  student  with  Thaddeus  M.  Wood,  and  Daniel 
Mosely  with  Forman  and  Sabin.  Dr.  William  Needham  lo¬ 
cated  at  the  Hollow  as  a  physician,  in  1793,  and  his  brother, 
Gurdon  Needham,  in  1795.  He  kept  the  first  school  at  the 
Hollow  in  1796.  Dr.  Bissell  practiced  medicine  a  number  of 
years  at  the  Hollow.  Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland  is  believed  to  be 
the  first  reformed  minister  who  ever  preached  in  the  county 
of  Onondaga.  He  frequently  officiated  at  Onondaga  Hollow, 
to  the  white  people  and  to  the  Indians. 

It  should  have  been  mentioned  in  another  place,  that  the 
building  of  the  new  church  edifice  for  the  Onondagas  was 
greatly  aided  by  a  generous  donation  from  “  the  society  for 
the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Indians,”  of  which 
Hon.  Lemuel  Shaw,  Chief  Justice  of  Massachusetts,  is  Presi¬ 
dent,  and  Rev.  D.  Parkman,  of  Boston,  Secretary.  A  rep¬ 
resentation  hawing  been  made  to  them  of  the  need  of  assist¬ 
ance,  the  Society  promptly  voted  an  appropriation  of  three 
hundred  dollars  towards  the  completion  of  the  church.  We 
may  add,  as  an  interesting  fact  in  this  connection,  that  an  ac¬ 
tive  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  above  named 
Society,  is  the  Rev.  Samuel  K.  Lothrop,  of  Boston,  a  grand¬ 
son  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland.  (See  page  242,  Yol.  I.) 

For  more  than  twelve  years  Mrs.  Danfort®?  was  the  only 
communicant  in  the  country.  She  was  afterwards  joined  by 
the  wife  of  General  Lewis  and  others.  Rev.  Daniel  Nash 
and  Davenport  Phelps,  (Episcopalians,)  were  the  next  minis¬ 
ters  who  officiated  here.  Others,  of  the  Presbyterian  denomi¬ 
nation  soon  succeeded.  Rev.  Messrs.  Wallace  and  Woodruff 
were  missionaries,  who  occasionally  officiated. 


T  OWNS O  NONDAGA. 


131 


<<  Tlu  First  Presbyterian  Society”  was  established  on  the 

Hill,”  but  the  people,  finding  it  rather  fatiguing  to  climb 
up  there  every  Sunday,  resolved  to  have  a  society  and  church 
nearer  home.  Accordingly  in  November,  1809,  the  “  Onon¬ 
daga  Hollow  Religious  Society’  ’  was  organized.  J ohn  Adams, 
Aaron  Bellows,  Nicholas  Mickles,  Thaddeus  M.  Wood  and 
Joshua  Forman,  were  chosen  Trustees,  George  Ilall  and  Jo¬ 
seph  Swan,  presiding.  Joseph  Swan  was  chosen  Secretary, 
which  office  he  has  held  to  this  day,  (1849.)  Rev.  Mr.  Da¬ 
venport  officiated  at  this  time.  In  February,  1810,  the  Rev. 
Dirck  C.  Lansing  was  called  to  the  charge  of  the  church,  and 
remained  with  them  as  pastor  to  May,  1814.  He  w*as  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  the  following  order,  by  Rev.  Ebenezer  J.  Leaven¬ 
worth,  Rev.  Samuel  T.  Mills,  Rev.  James  II.  Mills,  Rev.  Wash¬ 
ington  Thatcher,  Rev.  Elijah  Buck,  Rev.  Moses  Ingalls,  Rev. 
Abel  Cutler,  Rev.  Mr.  Howell,  Rev.  Geo.  II.  Hulin,  and 
Rev.  Wm.  W.  Collins.  The  church  edifice  was  erected  in 
1810—11. 

A  Post  Office  was  established  at  Onondaga  Hollow  in  the 
year  1794,  and  Comfort  Tyler  appointed  Post  Master.  This 
was  the  first  Post  Office  established  in  the  county.  One  however 
was  established  at  Cayuga,  then  in  Onondaga  County,  the 
same  year.  George  Kibbe  was  Post  Master  at  the  Hollow  in 
1801;  George  Hall  succeeded  him  in  1802,  and  Jasper  Hop¬ 
per  in  1803.  So  late  as  1812,  letters  were  distributed  from 
the  Post  Office  at  “  Onondaga  Valley,”  to  people  living  in  the 
towns  of  Camillas,  Pompey,  Marccllus,  Otisco,  Spafford,  Ly- 
sandcr  and  MaijLus. 

George  Kibbe  was  the  first  regular  merchant  who  sold  goods 
in  the  town  of  Onondaga,  in  1800. 

In  1803,  there  were  but  eight  frame  houses  in  the  Hollow. 
In  1809  a  frame  school  house  was  erected ;  the  same  is  still 
occupied  as  a  school  house,  in  good  repair :  previously  a  log 
one  had  been  built  and  occupied  near  where  the  Academy  now 
stands. 

Onondaga  Academy  was  incorporated  and  organized  in 
1813,  and  the  building  erected  in  1814.  It  was  endowed  by 


132 


ONONDAGA. 


the  State,  by  the  gift  of  a  lot  of  land,  (number  nine,)  town¬ 
ship  of  Ly sander,  belonging  to  the  Literature  Fund.  It  has 
held  its  way  with  other  Academies,  and  many  of  the  distin¬ 
guished  men  of  our  county,  owe  to  it  their  obligations  for  the 
advantages  they  have  received  in  its  halls.  Rev.  Caleb  Alex¬ 
ander  was  its  first  principal.  Although  he  had  been  educated 
for  the  ministry,  he  devoted  most  of  his  long  life  to  teaching, 
and  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  founder  of  several  institu¬ 
tions  of  learning.  To  his  exertions  and  influence,  were  the 
public  greatly  indebted  for  the  establishment  of  Onondaga 
Academy,  of  which  he  was  the  Principal  for  many  years.  It 
was  through  his  influence  that  Fairfield  Academy  was  estab¬ 
lished.  He  was  elected  first  President  of  Hamilton  College, 
but  declined  the  appointment.  Fie  was  a  man  of  great  learn¬ 
ing  and  varied  acquirements,  and  the  author  of  several  sys¬ 
tems  of  education,  translations,  &c.,  and  excelled  in  conver¬ 
sational  powers.  Fie  was  a  man  greatly  respected  and  be¬ 
loved.  He  died  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  in  April,  1828,  aged 
seventy-two  years. 

In  1808,  an  act  was  passed  authorizing  the  Governor  of  the 
State  to  deposit  five  hundred  stand  of  arms  at  Onondaga,  for 
the  defense  of  the  frontier,  and  such  quantities  of  ammuni¬ 
tion  and  military  stores,  as  in  his  opinion  would  be  necessary, 
in  case  of  an  invasion.  The  Governor  was  also  authorized 
and  empowered  to  provide,  at  the  expense  of  the  State,  a  suita¬ 
ble  place  for  the  keeping  of  said  arms  and  military  stores,  in 
good  order,  and  fit  for  immediate  service,  and  to  appoint  keep¬ 
ers  of  said  places  of  deposit.  Accordingly,  in  1812,  was 
built,  under  the  direction  of  the  Governor,  the  Arsenal  on  the 
hill  east  of  the  Hollow,  where  for  a  number  of  years  was  a 
large  deposit  of  arms,  &c.  As  a  military  store-house,  it  has 
long  since  been  abandoned  ;  it  is  now  fast  falling  to  decay. 

A  newspaper  was  first  established  at  Onondaga  Hollow  by 
Thomas  Crittenden  Fay,  in  December,  1811,  entitled  The 
Lynx,  having  for  its  motto,  “  Liberty  and  my  native  coun¬ 
try.”  Published  every  Wednesday,  and  delivered  to  subscri¬ 
bers  in  the  village  of  Onondaga  Valley,  at  two  dollars  per 


TOWNS O  NONDAGA. 


133 


annum.  In  closing  his  prospectus,  he  says,  “  I  shall  endeavor 
to  promote  the  nation’s  interest,  with  the  industry  of  the 
Beaver,  while  I  watch  its  enemies  with  the  eyes  of  a  Lynx.” 

It  was  in  this  office  (The  Lynx)  that  the  subsequent  distin¬ 
guished  editor  of  the  Albany  Evening  Journal  made  his  debut 
in  the  art  of  arts.  Mr.  Weed,  in  the  short  space  of  about 
twelve  months,  became  devil,  printer,  journeyman,  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  memorable  Lynx. 

The  “  Onondaga  Register”  made  its  first  appearance  at  On¬ 
ondaga  Hollow,  in  September,  1814,  edited  by  Lewis  II.  Red- 
field,  Esq.,  and  was  continued  to  May,  1829,  when  the  Regis¬ 
ter  was  transferred  to  Syracuse,  and  brought  out  in  a  new 
dress,  under  the  title  of  u  Onondaga  Register  and  Syracuse 
Gazette.”  It  is  believed  that  the  first  iron  press  introduced 
into  the  county,  was  by  Mr.  Redfield,  who  also  introduced  the 
first  composition  roller,  one  of  the  most  valuable  improve¬ 
ments  connected  with  printing  ever  invented. 

Russell  Webb  and  Janies  S.  Castle,  published  a  paper  at 
Onondaga  Hollow,  in  1832,  entitled  the  “  Citizens’  Press.” 
It  was  discontinued  after  a  publication  of  six  months. 

The  “  Onondaga  Gazette,”  by  Evander  Morse,  was  estab¬ 
lished  at  Onondaga  Hill,  in  1816.  Mr.  Morse  sold  the  estab¬ 
lishment  to  Cephas  S.  McConnell,  and  in  August,  1821,  title 
was  changed  to  Onondaga  Journal.  McConnell  sold  out  to 
Yivus  W.  Smith,  in  1826,  who  continued  it  till  1829,  when  he 
removed  to  Syracuse  and  joined  Mr.  Wyman  in  the  Onondaga 
Standard.  Since  1829,  there  has  been  no  paper  published  on 
the  Hill. 

One  of  the  first  settlers  at  Onondaga  West  Ilill,  was  Wil¬ 
liam  Laird,  in  1795.  He  became  the  first  purchaser  of  lot 
number  one  hundred  and  fourteen,  and  kept  a  log  tavern,  the 
first  kept  on  the  Hill.  He  committed  suicide,  by  hanging,  in 
October,  1802.  Nchemiah  Earll,  Daniel  Earll  and  Jabez 
Webb,  settled  on  the  Hill  in  1796.  Jabez  Webb  was  killed 
by  the  fall  of  a  tree,  in  1806.  He  was  the  first  purchaser 
from  the  State  of  lot  one  hundred  and  eighteen.  Simeon  and 
Reuben  West,  moved  to  the  Ilill  in  1805-6.  Judve  Strong 

O  o 


1 34 


ONONDAGA. 


took  up  his  abode  on  the  Hill  in  1802.  He  kept  the  first 
school  ever  kept  on  the  Hill,  from  November,  1802,  three 
■winter  terms  of  four  or  five  months  each,  in  a  log  building, 
which  stood  near  where  the  old  Court  House  used  to  stand.  A 
frame  school  house  was  erected  near  the  same  place  in  1807. 
He  was  a  Deputy  under  High  Sheriff  Col.  Elijah  Phillips,  four 
years,  and  Under  Sheriff  to  Sheriffs  Ear  11  and  Rust,  during 
their  periods  of  office.  Dr.  Salmon  Thayer  was  the  first  Phy¬ 
sician  on  the  Hill  in  1800,  succeeded  by  Dr.  Stewart. 

The  first  Agricultural  Society  formed  in  the  county  of  On¬ 
ondaga,  was  at  Onondaga  Hill,  in  the  spring  of  1819.  The 
Legislature  passed  a  law  during  the  session  of  1818-19,  by 
which  a  large  fund  was  raised  for  the  benefit  of  Agricultural 
Societies  throughout  the  State.  Of  this  fund  Onondaga  Coun¬ 
ty  became  entitled  to  three  hundred  dollars,  on  condition  that 
the  county  should  raise  an  equal  amount,  and  an  Agricultural 
Society  should  be  organized.  The  first  meeting  was  held  on 
the  4tli  of  May,  1819,  at  which  a  constitution  was  adopted, 
and  the  following  officers  chosen,  viz. :  Dan  Bradley,  Presi¬ 
dent,  Squire  Munro,  Martin  Cossit,  Augustus  Wheaton,  Vice 
Presidents  ;  Job  Tyler,  Recording  Secretary  ;  Geo.  Hall  and 
A.  Yelverton,  Corresponding  Secretaries ;  Leonard  Bacon, 
Treasurer ;  H.  L.  Granger,  Auditor ;  L.  PI.  Redfield,  D.  W. 
Forman,  O.  W.  Brewster,  Committee  of  Publication.  The 
first  Fair  was  held  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  November  2d,  1819 ; 
an  address  delivered  by  the  President,  and  Premiums  amount¬ 
ing  to  over  two  hundred  dollars,  were  awarded. 

St.  John’s  Church,  Onondaga  Hill,  was  organized  by  Rev. 
Davenport  Phelps,  2Gth  November,  1803.  It  was  succeeded 
by  Zion  Church,  which  was  organized  in  the  summer  of  1816. 
The  Clergy  have  been,  Rev.  Messrs.  Ezekiel  G.  Gear,  Milton 
Wilcox,  Thomas  K.  Peck,  Augustus  L.  Converse,  John  Mc¬ 
Carty,  Geo.  L.  Hinton,  John  W.  Cloud,  S.  W.  Beardsley  and 
Marshall  Whiting.  Since  1839,  only  occasional  services  have 
been  held. 

The  “  First  Presbyterian  Society  of  Onondaga,”  was  form¬ 
ed  on  the  Hill,  at  the  log  tavern,  kept  by  Daniel  Earll ;  pre- 


T  OWNS O  NONDAGA. 


135 


sent,  Joshua  Forman,  Jasper  Hopper,  John  Ellis,  Jonah  Ellis, 
Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  John  Adams,  and  Oliver  R.  Strong.  Min¬ 
isters  previous  to  1806  were  Rev.  Messrs.  Higgins  and  Hely, 
Rev.  Dirck  C.  Lansing,  was  ordained  and  settled  in  1806  ; 
Rev.  Jabez  Chadwick,  in  1811 ;  since  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Messrs.  Burback,  Prentiss,  Bacon  and  Machin.  Their  church 
edifice  was  erected  in  1819.  A  Post  Office  was  established 
about  the  year  1800,  Nehemiah  Earll,  Post  Master.  Daniel 
Mosely  established  himself  here  as  a  lawyer  in  1809.  Medad 
Curtis,  B.  D.  Noxon,  and  several  other  members  of  the  Bar 
of  Onondaga,  resided  here  previous  to  the  removal  of  the 
Court  House  to  Syracuse.  With  the  completion  of  the  Erie 
Canal,  and  the  removal  of  the  public  buildings,  its  prospects 
were  abridged,  and  it  has  since  rapidly  declined. 

Rattlesnakes  were  every  where  numerous  at  the  time  of  the 
first  settlement  of  the  country,  and  were  subjects  of  continual 
dread.  It  Was  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  these  poisonous 
animals  to  insinuate  themselves  into  the  houses  of  the  early 
settlers,  and  coil  themselves  snugly  in  the  corners  of  the  fi/e 
places,  and  beneath  the  beds,  for  the  purpose  of  gathering 
warmth.  They  seldom  did  harm  unless  irritated  and  pro¬ 
voked. 

Among  the  antiquities  of  this  town  may  be  noted,  that  on 
the  farm  of  Mr.  Hessy  was  the  remains  of  an  old  fort.  When 
the  first  settlers  came,  there  were  some  of  the  pickets  still 
standing,  and  the  places  visible  where  others  had  stood.  At 
the  corners  were  evident  marks  of  a  chimney  and  fire  places, 
and  also  the  ruins  of  a  blacksmith’s  shop.  Cinders  and  a  va¬ 
riety  of  tools  belonging  to  the  trade  have  at  times  been  plow¬ 
ed  up.  A  portion  seemed  to  have  served  for  a  burying  ground, 
as  human  bones  were  frequently  disinterred  by  the  plow'.  A 
large  and  excellent  anvil  was  also  plowed  up. 

Major  Danforth  once  received  a  letter  from  an  old  French¬ 
man,  stating,  that  not  far  from  his  (Danforth’s)  house,  in  the 
bank  of  the  creek,  he  would  find  a  complete  set  of  black¬ 
smiths’  tools  as  ever  were  used.  Search  was  made  for  them 
but  they  have  never  come  to  light. 


136 


ONONDAGA. 


In  the  year  1798,  on  the  west  part  of  the  farm,  afterwards 
occupied  by  Gilbert  Pinckney,  could  be  seen  a  trench,  about 
ten  rods  long,  three  feet  deep,  and  about  four  feet  wide  at 
top,  on  the  border  of  a  steep  gulf  and  parallel  with  it,  appa¬ 
rently  a  place  of  defense.  Arrow-heads,  spear-points  and 
knives  of  flint,  also  stone  axes,  and  other  Indian  implements, 
have  been  found,  and  several  burial  places  were  known  to  the 
early  settlers.  In  the  spring  of  1815,  on  the  farm  of  Dea¬ 
con  Joseph  Forman,  at  Onondaga  Hollow,  an  oaken  pail  was 
plowed  up  containing  about  four  quarts  of  leaden  bullets,  sup¬ 
posed  to  have  been  buried  during  the  Revolutionary  war.  There 
is  every  appearance  of  an  extensive  burying  ground  on  Judge 
Strong’s  premises,  indicated  by  the  following  circumstances : 
In  excavating  a  cellar  to  his  house  in  1816,  a  full  grown  skele¬ 
ton  of  a  man  was  thrown  out.  Another  was  disinterred  by  a 
Mr.  Carpenter,  while  digging  post  holes  back  of  Judge  S’s 
house.  Six  other  graves  were  opened,  having  in  them  the 
skeletons  of  full  grown  persons.  The  bones  were  in  an  ad¬ 
vanced  stage  of  decay.  They  were  found  about  a  foot  and  a 
half  below  the  surface,  and  those  thrown  out  were  gathered 
together  and  buried.  From  appearances  this  spot  must  have 
contained  several  hundred  graves.  Webster  informed  Judge 
Strong,  that  the  Indians  had  a  tradition,  that  in  one  of  their 
battles  with  the  French  in  the  Hollow,  which  had  been  pro¬ 
tracted  and  severe,  the  French  removed  their  wounded  to  this 
spot,  and  here  buried  such  as  did  not  survive.  On  west  hill, 
a  mile  south  of  the  village,  was  a  clearing  called  the  Webster 
orchard.  Another  called  the  Lewis  orchard.  The  Youngs 
farm  had  a  clearing  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  There 
were  several  other  smaller  clearings  at  the  Hollow,  some  of 
them  covered  with  grass  and  clumps  of  wild  plumb  and  cher¬ 
ry  trees.  At  the  Hollow,  south  of  the  village,  was  an  Indian 
burying  ground. 

In  earlier  times,  when  the  great  annual  councils  of  the  Five 
Nations,  were  held  at  Onondaga,  and  the  affairs  of  this  distin¬ 
guished  confederacy  were  of  consequence,  after  continuing 
for  several  days,  they  were  usually  closed  with  great  rejoicing 


TOWNS O  N  O  N  D  A  G  A. 


137 


and  a  war  dance.  After  the  breaking  up  of  these  councils, 
the  Senecas  and  Cayugas  would  set  out  for  their  homes  early 
in  the  morning.  As  early  as  nine  o’clock,  the  open  ground 
from  the  turnpike  to  the  Court-House,  would  become  literal¬ 
ly  crowded  with  Indians.  To  this  place,  a  large  party  of  the 
Onondagas  invariably  accompanied  their  friends,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  taking  leave.  It  is  said  that  on  these  occasions  the 
adieus  were  extremely  affecting.  An  aged  chief  would  grasp 
the  hand  of  a  friend,  hold  it  in  his  own,  for  the  space  of  sev¬ 
eral  minutes,  without  uttering  a  single  syllable,  with  eyes 
cast  upon  the  ground,  with  the  most  unaffected  gravity,  and 
solemnity  of  countenance,  and  after  a  long  time,  retire  silent¬ 
ly,  as  if  the  bitterest  grief  pervaded  his  heart  in  consequence 
of  the  separation.  What  was  practiced  by  one  was  practiced 
by  all.  The  whole  scene  is  represented  as  being  truly  solemn 
and  affecting. 

Large  quantities  of  horn  stone  are  found  imbeded  in  the 
slate  rock  of  the  Hamilton  group,  in  the  south  part  of  the  town 
of  Onondaga,  along  the  road  to  Otisco  from  South  Hollow. — 
Along  the  banks  of  the  Onondaga  Creek  are  found  a  number 
of  sulphur  springs.  In  the  town  are  numerous  hopper-formed 
depressions,  in  shape  like  a  potash  kettle,  from  two  to  four  rods 
across  at  top,  and  from  ten  to  forty  feet  deep.  These  are  on 
the  south  part  of  Mr.  Thomas  Dorwin’s  farm. 

There  are  abundance  of  petrifactions  in  this  town,  north  to¬ 
wards  the  town  of  Camillus,  and  along  the  Onondaga  valley, 
and  several  deposits  of  calcareous  Tufa. 

In  the  West  Hill,  is  forming,  at  the  present  time  quite  per¬ 
ceptible,  large  bodies  of  conglomerate  rock. 

Split  Rock  quarry,  furnishes  an  inexhaustable  material  for 
building  purposes,  commencing  near  Mickles’  furnace,  running 
westerly  into  the  town  of  Camillus. 

Onondaga  South  Hollow’  is  a  small  village  on  the  west 
branch  of  the  Onondaga  Creek,  with  two  meeting-houses,  two 
grist-mills,  saw-mills,  clothing-works,  post-office,  &c.  Some 
of  the  first  settlers  in  this  quarter,  previous  to  1800,  were 
Gideon  Seely,  Phineas  Sparks,  Ebenezer  Conklin,  Turner 


138 


ONONDAGA. 


Fenner,  Gilbert  Pinckney  and  Amasa  Chapman;  from  1800 
to  1804,  Obadiah  Nichols,  John  Clark,  Henry  Frost,  John 
Carpenter,  Zebulon  Rust,  Joseph  Warner,  Oliver  Cummings, 
Daniel  Chaffe,  Isaac  Parmenter  and  others. 

Near  this  village  is  a  singular  elevation  of  land,  about  two 
hundred  feet  above  the  creek.  The  sides  are  steep  except  on 
the  west,  and  not  easily  accessible.  On  the  top  is  a  beautiful 
plateau,  perfectly  plain  and  level,  containing  about  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  acres  of  excellent  land,  under  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  There  are  other  similar  elevations  in  this  branch 
of  the  Onondaga  valley,  but  none  so  deserving  of  notice  as 
this. 

Navarino  is  a  small  village,  west  of  South  Hollow,  on  very 
high  ground.  It  has  a  church,  post-office,  &c. 

Statistics  of  Onondaga,  taken  from  the  census  of  1845 : 
Number  of  inhabitants,  5142.  441  subject  to  military  du¬ 

ty,  1050  voters,  152  aliens,  79  paupers,  (poor-house  and  all,) 
1324  children  attending  common  schools,  30898  acres  of  im¬ 
proved  land,  5  grist-mills,  8  saw-mills,  1  fulling-mill,  1  ca,rd- 
ing-machine,  1  woolen-factory,  1  iron-foundery,  2  asheries,  1 
Tannery,  2  Baptist  churches,  1  Episcopal  do.,  1  Presbyterian 
do.,  1  Congregational  do.,  5  Methodist  do.,  34  common 
schools,  8  taverns,  8  stores,  2  groceries,  609  farmers,  8  mer¬ 
chants,  4  manufacturers,  129  mechanics,  11  clergymen,  7 
physicians  and  2  attorneys. 

Salina.* — The  old  town  of  Salma,  in  point  of  importance 
may  be  ranked  as  inferior  to  no  other  in  the  county.  The 
name  was  given  by  the  Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office. 
In  1797,  a  law  was  passed,  authorizing  the  Surveyor  General 
to  lay  out  a  portion  of  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  for  the 
purpose  of  making  provision  for  the  manufacture  of  salt. 
A  portion  of  the  marsh  and  upland  was  laid  out  on  a  map, 
and  named  Salina.  Afterwards,  in  1798,  a  village  was  laid  out 
and  called  Salina,  and  when  the  town  was  organized  in  1809, 
that  was  also  called  Salina.  At  a  very  early  period,  the  terri- 


*  Salina,  Latin,  a  place  where  salt  is  made. 


TOWNS.  —  SALINA. 


139 


tory  embraced  in  the  town  of  Salina,  attracted  the  attention  of 
travelers  and  settlers,  on  account  of  the  anticipated  value  of 
the  salt  springs;  and,  as  the  country  advanced  in  resources 
and  population,  the  predictions  of  the  most  sanguine  were 
more  than  realized.  At  the  organization  of  the  county  in 
1794,  the  town  of  Salina  was  comprehended  in  the  original 
towns  of  Manlius  and  Marcellus ;  and,  after  Onondaga  was 
set  off  in  1798,  and  the  township  of  Camillus  was  organized 
as  a  town,  that  portion  of  the  reservation  not  included  in 
Onondaga,  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake  and  creek  was  at¬ 
tached  to  Camillus.  At  the  organization  of  the  town  in  1809, 
a  triangular  piece  of  ground  containing  nine  and  a  half  lots, 
were  taken  from  the  north-west  corner  of  the  township  of 
Manlius,  wjjich,  with  the  Salt  Springs  Reservation,  made  the 
town  of  Salina. 

In  August,  1790,  Col.  Jeremiah  Gould  and  family,  con¬ 
sisting  of  a  wife  and  three  sons,  Jeremiah,  James  and  Phares, 
and  an  only  daughter,  the  eldest  of  the  children,  moved  from 
Westmoreland  to  Salt  Point,  and  found  there,  Deacon  Loomis, 
Nathaniel  Loomis,  Hezekiah  Olcott,  John  Danforth,  Asa 
Danforth,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  Gaston,  with  their  families,  who 
had  settled  there  a  year  or  two  previous,  and  had  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  salt.  In  1791,  Mr.  Samuel  Jerome  came 
to  Onondaga  to  look  land,  and  visited  Salt  Point,  took  a  hand¬ 
ful  of  the  salt,  went  through  Pompey,  Fabius,  Homer  and 
Manlius ;  and,  on  his  return  to  Saratoga,  his  place  of  resi¬ 
dence,  he  reported  that  he  had  found  “  the  land  of  promise,” 
and  persuaded  a  number  of  his  friends  to  come  out  and  settle 
upon  it. 

In  1791,  two  families  of  the  name  of  Woodworth  and  Stur- 
ges,  settled  near  the  marsh.  On  the  2d  of  March,  1792,  Mr. 
Isaac  Van  Yleck  and  family,  came  to  Salt  Point,  and  the  fol¬ 
lowing  year,  came  Thomas  Orman  and  Simon  Phares. 

Frame  houses  were  built  at  Salt  Point  at  an  early  day. 
The  manner  of  building  was  peculiar,  and  hardly  deserved  the 
name  of  frame  ;  it  was  like  this  :  sills  were  laid,  and  posts  set 
up  at  proper  distances,  and  the  beams  and  plates  put  in. 


140 


ONONDAGA. 


Grooves  were  cut  in  the  posts,  two  inches  wide,  and  sticks  laid 
in  horizontally,  and  the  whole  plastered  up  with  mud,  tem¬ 
pered  with  straw,  which  made  very  comfortable  dwellings. 
Chimnies  were  made  of  sticks  and  clay,  and  the  fire  places 
had  no  jams,  only  a  plain  stone  wall  on  the  back.  Mr.  Jere¬ 
miah  Gould,  erected  the  first  frame  house  at  Salt  Point,  and 
the  first  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  in  1792  ;  John  Danforth 
erected  the  second,  in  1793  ;  Mr.  Van  Vleck  and  Asa  Dan¬ 
forth,  Jr.,  built  frame  houses  about  the  same  time,  of  superior 
construction.  Provisions  were  brought  from  Tioga,  and  from 
Whitestown  and  Herkimer,  and  exchanged  for  salt.  In  1792 
and  1793,  the  settlers  in  this  county  suffered  severely  for  want 
of  provisions  ;  and,  on  several  occasions,  boats  were  sent  from 
Salt  Point  to  Kingston,  by  way  of  Oswego,  to  procure  pro¬ 
visions  ;  and  the  old  people  inform  us,  that  they  at  different 
times  procured  bread,  biscuits,  salted  meat  and  fish,  that  were 
made  and  cured  in  England,  which,  though  of  inferior  quality, 
were  nevertheless  accepted  with  a  relish  which  hunger  never 
fails  to  give.  Captain  Canute,  of  a  trading  boat  from  Salt 
Point  to  Albany,  brought  provisions,  groceries,  &c.,  and  often 
received  his  pay  in  young  hears,  wolves,  ’coons,  foxes,'  fawns, 
&c.,  all  of  which  at  that  time  were  very  plenty.  Deer  were 
so  plenty  and  tame,  that  they  frequently  herded  with  the  cows, 
and  would  enter  the  yards  with  them  at  night,  with  as  much 
unconcern,  as  if  they  had  been  completely  domesticated.  The 
young  bears,  &c.,  were  furnished  to  the  white  people  by  the 
Indians,  for  the  merest  trifle  ;  and,  numbers  .of  these  animals 
have  been  known  to  be  confined  in  chains,  awaiting  the  arri¬ 
val  of  Captaiji  Canute,  who  always  found  a  ready  sale  for 
them  at  a  fair  profit  in  Albany. 

So  common  were  wolves  and  bears  at  this  time,  that  it  was 
not  unusual  for  these  animals  to  be  seen  passing  along  the 
path  leading  from  Cicero  to  Onondaga,  as  fearless  and  uncon¬ 
cerned  as  if  entirely  among  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest,  or 
completely  domesticated.  And  from  the  frequency  of  these 
recurrences,  these  paths  were  named  the  bear  and  wolf  paths, 
and  two  of  the  streets  running  north  from  main  street,  in  the 


TOWNS.— S  ALIN  A. 


141 


first  ward  of  Syracuse,  from  this  circumstance,  are  now’  called 
Wolf  and  Bear  streets. 

The  country  about  Onondaga  Lake,  up  to  the  year  1800, 
during  the  summer  season,  was  extremely  unhealthy.  Fevers 
began  to  appear  early  in  July,  and  cases  followed  each  other 
in  such  quick  succession,  that  oftentimes  there  were  scarce 
well  persons  enough  to  minister  to  the  necessities  of  the  sick, 
and  it  seemed  as  if  man  and  beast  were  alike  afflicted  with  the 
same  dread  scourge.  Numbers  of  the  inhabitants  perished 
during  the  sickly  seasons,  and  cattle  and  horses  were  not  ex¬ 
empt  from  sickness  and  death.  It  seemed  to  be  the  chosen 
abode  of  pestilence  and  death. 

In  1793,  there  were  but  thirty  persons  at  Salt  Point  all 
told,  and  nearly  every  one  wras  sick  at  one  time,  except  a  man 
named  Patrick  Riley,  a  generous  hearted  fellow,  who  carried 
on  Mr.  Yan  Vleck’s  salt  w’orks.  He  drew  all  his  own  wTood 
for  salt-block,  boiled  salt  every  day  and  half  the  nights,  and 
every  alternate  night  watched  with  the  sick,  for  a  period  of 
two  months,  without  a  single  night  of  intermission.  Dr.  Hol¬ 
brook,  who  had  then  settled  near  Jamesville,  and  the  first 
physician  in  the  county,  came  over  every  day  to  visit  the  sick, 
and  was  considered  a  successful  as  well  as  skilful  physician. 
Dr.  Burnet  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  resident  physician  at 
Salina,  in  1797.  During  the  sickly  season  the  Indians  were 
exceedingly  kind  and  attentive,  and  furnished  liberally  to 
every  family  a  supply  of  venison  and  fish,  which  added  great¬ 
ly  to  their  comfort. 

One  of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  Indians  was  often 
displayed  at  their  drunken  frolics.  During  the  early  settle¬ 
ment  of  Salina,  w’henever  they  had  resolved  upon  a  carousal, 
they  almost  invariably  divested  themselves  of  all  deadly  wea¬ 
pons,  and  deposited  them  in  some  safe  place,  in  the  keeping  of 
a  confidential  person,  and  went  to  the  work  of  excessive  drun¬ 
kenness  with  all  their  might  and  main.  Not  unfrequently  on 
these  occasions,  one  of  their  number  would  be  set  apart,  ex¬ 
pressly  to  keep  sober,  and  to  see  that  no  one  injured  another 
in  any  outbreak  of  uncontrolled  passion. 


142 


ONONDAGA. 


'  At  the  period  of  the  first  settlement  of  the  county,  rattle¬ 
snakes  were  numerous  in  the  vicinity  of  Salina,  and  if  mo¬ 
lested,  were  extremely  dangerous ;  but  on  the  contrary,  if 
suffered  to  pursue  their  own  way,  were  considered  harmless 
and  inoffensive.  On  a  time,  a  little  son  of  Mr.  Isaac  Van 
Yleck,  named  Abraham,  was  out  at  play.  His  mother  became 
much  alarmed  by  the  violent  cackling  of  the  fowls,  which  were 
in  the  highest  state  of  excitement.  Mrs.  Van  "Fleck,  being 
in  earnest  to  learn  the  cause,  passed  round  the  house,  and 
there  found  her  little  son  fondling  in  his  hands  and  arms  an 
enormous  rattlesnake,  which  twined  and  writhed  around  the 
tender  limbs  of  the  child,  in  the  fondest  manner,  looking  de¬ 
fiance  at  the  fowls  that  had  gathered  around  in  a  circle,  and 
by  their  noise  and  bustle,  expressed  the  utmost  fear  and  agi¬ 
tation.  The  frightened  mother  ran  to  her  nearest  neighbors, 
who  soon  gathered  at  the  scene.  The  snake  seemed  to  in¬ 
crease  his  fondness  for  the  child,  and  no  one  seemed  disposed 
to  meddle  with  his  snakeship  for  fear  of  increasing  its  danger 
or  their  own.  At  length  the  mother  seized  a  favorable  op¬ 
portunity,  snatched  the  child,  and  ran  away  with  it.  The 
snake  seemed  angry  with  the  removal  of  his  little  friend,  coil¬ 
ed  himself  in  a  hostile  attitude,  and  was  instantly  dispatched 
by  those  present.  On  another  occasion  an  Indian  was  acci¬ 
dentally  bitten  severely  by  one  of  these  poisonous  reptiles. 
Knowing  that  he  must  die,  he  instantly  killed  the  snake,  and 
bit  the  reptile’s  head,  that  he  might  die  the  sooner.  Within 
twenty-four  hours  he  was  a  corpse,  having  swelled  to  an  enor¬ 
mous  size  and  burst. 

The  first  licensed  tavern  keeper  we  find  in  the  town’of  Sa¬ 
lina  was  Mr.  Gilchrist,  whose  house  stood  near  where  the  in¬ 
spector’s  office  is  now ;  others  of  the  same  business  soon  fol¬ 
lowed,  and  Salina  became  noted  for  the  excellency  of  its 
taverns.  A  Mr.  Carpenter  was  the  first  merchant  of  any  con¬ 
siderable  note,  and  was  connected  with  the  Federal  Company. 

Mr.  Ryal  Bingham  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  at 
Salt  Point,  ’96  or  ’97 ;  he  moved  there  from  Three-River- 
Point.  It  is  related  of  this  Justice,  that  a  man  was  brought 


T  O  W  N  S S  A  L I N  A . 


143 


before  him  on  a  charge  of  stealing.  Upon  being  satisfied  of 
his  guilt,  he  ordered  him  to  be  whipped  a  certain  number  of 
lashes  on  the  bare  back.  There  being  no  one  willing  to  exe¬ 
cute  the  sentence,  the  Justice  undertook  it  himself,  and  to  the 
great  discomfiture  of  the  thief,  succeeded  too  well. 

Abraham  Van  Vleck  is  supposed  to  be  the  first  male  child 
born  in  the  county  of  Onondaga — born  in  the  year  1792. 
About  the  time  of  his  birth,  an  Indian  had  been  drowned  at 
the  Oswego  Falls,  by  the  upsetting  of  his  canoe,  and  the 
event  bore  so  heavy  upon  the  friends  of  the  deceased,  that  the 
son  of  Mr.  Van  Vleck  was  named  by  the  Indians  Ne-un-hoo- 
tah,  which  being  interpreted,  means  sorrow  for  one  departed, 
and  by  this  name  he  was  known  among  the  Indians,  who  al¬ 
ways  entertained  for  him  a  remarkable  friendship,  and  gave 
to  his  father  in  trust  for  him  a  mile  square  of  land,  at  the 
outlet  of  the  lake.  The  title  was  not  recognized  by  the  State. 
It  was  customary  in  those  days  for  the  Indians  to  call  all  the 
principal  families  by  their  own  names.  Mr.  Van  Vleck  Avas 
called  Ka-hunk-a-ta-wah,  meaning,  one  spry  enough  to  skip 
over  water.  Mrs.  Van  Vleck  Avas  called  Con-o-roo-quah,  one 
of  pleasant  disposition,  and  the  present  Mrs.  O’Blennis,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  Van  Vleck,  Avas  named  Jo-an-te-no;  and 
other  members  of  the  family  had  also  Indian  names,  as  well 
as  others  of  the  settlers. 

The  toAvn  of  Salina  was  incorporated  in  1809,  and  the  first 
town  meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Cornelius  Schoutens,  11th 
of  March,  the  same  year.  At  this  time  Elisha  Alvord  Avas 
elected  Supervisor,  and  Fisher  Curtis,  Toavu  Clerk  ;  Rufus 
Danforth,  Martin  Wandle,  Richard  C.  Johnson,  Henry  Bo- 
gardus,  Assessors  ;  Michael  Mead,  Wm.  Buckley,  Jr.,  and  Jon¬ 
athan  Fay,  Commissioners  of  IligliAvays,  &c.  1810,  Cyrel 

Hunt  Avas  elected  Supervisor,  and  Fisher  Curtis,  Town  Clerk ; 
Rufus  Danforth,  Daniel  Wheadon,  Nathan  D’Lamatter,  As¬ 
sessors. 

In  1798,  the  Surveyor  General  was  directed  by  laAV  to  lay 
out  the  village  of  Salina.  The  act  is  in  the  following  words, 
viz. :  “  Be  it  enacted,  that  the  Superintendent  shall,  on  the 


144 


ONONDAGA. 


ground  adjoining  to  the  south-east  side  of  Free  street,  so 
named  on  the  map  of  the  Salt  Springs,  made  by  the  Surveyor 
General,  lay  out  a  square  for  a  village,  consisting  of  sixteen 
blocks,  each  six  chains  square,  with  intermediate  streets,  con¬ 
forming  to  the  streets  laid  down  on  the  said  map,  made  by 
the  Surveyor  General,  and  divide  each  lot  into  four  house  lots, 
and  deliver  a  map  and  description  thereof  to  the  Surveyor 
General,  who  having  approved  thereof,  shall  thereupon  pro¬ 
ceed  to  advertize  and  sell,  not  exceeding  thirty  of  the  said  lots 
in  the  manner  prescribed  by  law  for  the  sale  of  the  lots  laid 
out  at  Oswego.  Provided ,  that  none  of  the  said  lots  shall  be 
sold  for  a  less  sum  than  forty  dollars,  and  provided  also,  that 
no  lot  on  which  there  is  a  building  of  the  value  of  fifty  dollars, 
shall  be  liable  to  be  sold,  if  the  owner  or  occupant  thereof 
shall  agree  to  secure  a  deed  therefor,  and  pay  for  the  same, 
at  the  average  price  of  other  lots  sold  as  aforesaid.” 

The  village  was  laid  out,  and  lots  sold  on  credit,  in  1799, 
and  those  who  had  not  paid  up  in  1801,  had  the  time  of  their 
payments  extended  by  law. 

The  village  of  Salina  was  incorporated  March  12th,  1824. 
At  the  election  under  the  village  charter,  Fisher  Curtis,  Hen¬ 
ry  C.  Rossiter,  James  Shankland,  Jonathan  R.  Beach,  were 
elected  Trustees;  Fisher  Curtis  was  appointed  President ;  Asli- 
bel  Kellogg,  Clerk  ;  S.  R.  Mathews,  Collector  ;  Horace  Brace, 
Treasurer;  and  J.  G.  Forbes,  Attorney.  Among  the  first 
acts  of  the  Trustees  was  to  procure  a  fire  engine,  and  ladders, 
hooks,  and  other  apparatus  for  the  extinguishment  of  fires, 
laying  out  and  improving  streets  and  other  things  for  the  pros¬ 
perity  of  the  village.  By  the  Book  of  Records  it  appears 
that  the  first  Board  of  Trustees  were  not  unmindful  of  their 
duty,  but  went  zealously  into  the  work  assigned  them,  and 
made  many  improvements  which  have  had  a  lasting  tendency 
to  perpetuate  the  prosperity  of  the  village.  In  1825,  Thomas 
McCarthy,  Wm.  Beach,  B.  F.  Williams,  Sylvester  F.  Peck, 
and  E.  M.  Knapp,  were  elected  Trustees.  1826,  Thomas 
McCarthy,  E.  M.  Knapp,  B.  F.  Williams,  S.  F.  Peck,  Wm. 
H.  Beach,  were  elected  Trustees ;  Thomas  McCarthy,  Presi- 


TOWNS.— SALT  N  A. 


145 


dent.  The  village  of  Salma  is  now  the  first  ward  of  the  city 
of  Syracuse. 

The  Presbyterian  Society  at  Salina,  was  organized  on  the 
20th  day  of  March,  1810,  as  the  “  United  Church  of  Onondaga 
Hollow  and  Salina,”  by  the  Presbytery  of  Geneva,  and  Rev. 
Dirk  C.  Lansing  minister  of  the  Church.  There  were  but 
nine  members  at  this  time.  Previous  to  this  the  Presbyteri¬ 
ans  attended  divine  worship  with  the  Methodists,  and  had  oc¬ 
casional  services  of  their  own,  by  the  Rev.  Caleb  Alexander  and 
Samuel  T.  Mills.  On  the  23d  of  January,  1822,  the  United 
Church  was  divided,  and  a  separate  church  organized,  called 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  at  Salina.  The  Rev.  Hutchins 
Taylor  was  installed  in  March,  1822.  A  new  house  of  wor¬ 
ship  was  erected  in  1823,  and  Mr.  Taylor  continued  as  pastor 
to  September,  1826.  Then  succeeded  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hotch¬ 
kiss,  one  year  and  a  half ;  Rev.  Hiram  H.  Kellogg,  two  years ; 
James  J.  Ostrum,  three  years;  Joseph  J.  Foot,  two  years. 
In  July,  1836,  Rev.  Hutchins  Taylor  was  re-called,  and  re¬ 
mained  till  some  time  in  1839.  Rev.  Joseph  Myers  preached 
from  December  1st,  1839,  to  May,  1844.  The  Rev.  Elias 
Clark  during  the  winter  of  1844,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Cas- 
tleton  from  20th  of  August,  1845,  to  the  present  time. 

The  next  religious  society  were  the  Methodists,  who  were 
organized  at  an  early  day,  and  who  erected  their  house  of 
worship,  1829. 

St.  John’s  Roman  Catholic  Church,  in  the  village  of  Sa¬ 
lina,  now  Syracuse,  was  commenced  and  enclosed  in  1829,  by 
the  exertions  of  Thomas  McCarthy  and  James  Lynch,  and  a 
few  Roman  Catholics,  and  the  liberal  donations  of  their  Pro¬ 
testant  fellow-citizens  in  the  villages  of  Salina  and  Syracuse, 
and  by  collections  made  by  said  McCarthy  and  Lynch,  from 
their  friends  in  Utica,  Albany  and  New- York.  Rt.  Rev.  John 
Dubois  was  then  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  New-York,  and  for 
the  two  succeeding  years,  the  congregation  being  small,  was 
visited  by  clergymen  only  once  a  month.  The  first  resident 
clergyman  that  attended  the  church,  was  the  Rev.  Francis 
O’Donoghue,  who  was  the  pastor  for  about  six  years,  and  was 

b  10 


14G 


ONONDAGA. 


succeeded  by  Rev.  James  O’Donnell,  who  remained  in  charge 
of  the  church  and  mission  some  four  or  five  years.  After  him 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Idaes,  now  of  the  Syracuse  Church,  had  charge 
for  several  years,  and  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Geaurdett, 
for  about  three  years.  Others  who  have  officiated  are  Rev. 
Messrs.  Drummond,  Chartier,  Rolf  and  Cummings. 

St  Mary’s  German  Catholic  Church  was  erected  during  the 
winter  of  1844-5.  Clergymen,  Rev.  Messrs.  Adelbert,  Ina- 
ma,  Xavier,  Roth  and  Theodore  Noethen. 

About  a  mile  north  of  Green  Point,  were  formerly  the  re¬ 
mains  of  a  fortification,  probably  erected  by  the  French,  in 
some  of  their  visits  to  the  Onondaga  valley.  This  may  be 
the  ruins  of  the  fort  erected  by  Mons.  Dablon,  in  1665,  (see 
page  174,  Vol.  I.) 

In  the  account  given  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  of  the  location 
of  the  French  fortification,  and  the  colony  and  mission  estab¬ 
lished  at  the  same  time,  there  are  many  striking  coincidences 
with  this  ground,  and  the  locality  described  by  them.  “  The 
spring  of  fresh  water,  and  a  salt  fountain,  eighty  or  an  hun¬ 
dred  paces  distant,”  &c.  (seep. 250, Vol. I.)  Although  there  is 
now  no  salt  spring  “issuing  from  the  same  hill,”  yet,  fifty 
years  ago  there  was  one,  which  circumstance,  with  the  old 
fortification,  goes  far  to  identify  them  as  one  and  the  same 
place,  and  as  no  other  ruins  were  noticeable  by  the  first  set¬ 
tlers,  Ave  set  it  down  as  the  ground  upon  which  Mons.  Dablon 
established  his  fort.  The  prospect  described  by  the  several 
missionaries,  as  being  surpassingly  beautiful,  is  still  entitled 
to  the  same  praise,  and  “  the  spring  of  pure,  fresh  water” 
bubbles  up  with  the  same  freshness  now  that  it  did  two  hun¬ 
dred  years  ago,  and  is  as  useful  at  this  day  to  slake  the  thirst 
of  the  weary  ploughman,  as  it  was  then  to  cool  the  lips  of  the 
tented  soldier,  the  pilgrim  priest,  or  the  wandering  savage. 

At  even  a  much  earlier  date,  it  may  have  been  the  strong 
hold  of  the  Iroquois  in  the  Onondaga  country,  and  may  be 
the  same  attacked  with  so  much  vigor  by  Mons.  Champlain 
in  1615,  (see  page  252,  V ol.  I.) 

When  the  white  people  came  to  settle  in  the  neighborhood 


T  O  W  N  S .  —  S  A  L I  N  A  . 


147 


of  Salina,  this  ground  was  covered  with  small  trees  of  a  uni¬ 
form  size,  indicating  that  at  no  very  distant  period,  it  had 
been  destitute  of  timber. 

Judge  Geddes  in  a  manuscript  now  in  hand,  says :  “  In 

the  summer  of  1797,  when  the  Surveyor  General  laid  out  the 
salt  lots,  I  officiated  as  a  deputy  surveyor,  and  when  travers¬ 
ing  the  shores  of  Onondaga  Lake,  I  found  between  Brown’s 
pumpworks  and  Liverpool,  the  traces  of  an  old  stockade, 
which  I  surveyed  and  made  a  map  of.  Our  opinion  was,  from 
the  truth  of  the  right  angles,  and  other  apparent  circumstan¬ 
ces,  that  it  was  a  French  work.  A  fine  spring  of  water,  rises 
near  by.” 

The  accompanying  cut,  is  a  copy  of  the  survey,  made  by 
Judge  Geddes  at  this  time.  The  original  is  now  in  the  Sur¬ 
veyor  General’s  office,  at  Albany. 


On  this  ground  have  been  plowed  up,  brass  kettles,  gun 
barrels,  musket  balls,  axes,  grape  shot,  &e.  Burnt  earth  and 
calcined  stones,  and  broken  bricks,  where  their  fires  had  been 
kept,  are  to  be  seen  even  to  this  day.  In  1794,  the  ditch 


148 


ONONDAGA. 


was  easily  to  be  traced,  and  some  of  the  pickets  were  standing. 
The  work  embraced  about  half  an  acre  of  land,  and  from  its 
location,  was  a  place  of  beauty,  convenience  and  strength. 

This  work  is  situated  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Myrick  Bradley, 
on  the  bank  of  the  lake.  An  old  deserted  bouse  now  stands 
on  the  site.  Cultivation  and  time  have  removed  all  traces  of 
its  being. 

There  was  an  ancient  burying  ground  at  Green  Point. 

Liverpool  was  laid  out  as  aidllage  by  the  Surveyor  Gene¬ 
ral,  and  named  Liverpool  by  the  Commissioners  of  the  Land 
Office. 

Previous  to  this,  it  was  called  Little  Ireland,  and  was  early 
a  place  of  considerable  notoriety  as  a  salt  manufacturing  lo¬ 
cality. 

Jonathan  Danforth  was  the  first  settler  at  Liverpool,  in 
1794,  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of  salt.  He  was  soon 
followed  by  Patrick  Riley,  Joseph  Gordon,  James  Armstrong 
and  Charles  Morgan. 

John  O’Blennis  made  salt  at  Green  Point  in  179'4.  There 
were  many  salt  springs  which  issued  all  along  the  high  bank 
of  the  lake,  north  of  the  point,  at  which,  works  have  at  differ¬ 
ent  times  been  erected.  The  first  school  kept  at  Liverpool, 
was  by  a  man  named  Conner,  in  his  salt  works,  and  the  schol¬ 
ars  were  taught,  while  he  carried  on  the  business  of  making 
salt.  His  school  was  then  considered  the  best  in  the  county, 
and  was  denominated  “  the  high  school,”  and  was  patronized 
by  the  inhabitants  of  Salina  and  Onondaga  Hollow. 

u  Ascension  Church,”  Liverpool,  was  organized  in  1840, 
and  their  church  edifice  erected  in  1841.  Rev.  Messrs.  George 
D.  Gillespie,  S.  G.  Appleton  and  Samuel  Goodale,  Cler¬ 
gymen. 

Statistics  of  the  town  of  Salina,  from  the  State  census  of 
1845 : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  15,804 ;  subject  to  military  duty, 
1,864  ;  voters,  3,538  ;  aliens,  1,101 ;  children  attending  Com¬ 
mon  Schools,  2,353  ;  acres  improved  land,  14,012  ;  grist  mills, 


TOWNS.— S  ALIN  A. 


149 


4 ;  saw  mills,  4  ;  iron  works,  4 ;  trip  hammer,  1 ;  asheries, 
2 ;  Tanneries,  2 ;  Churches,  Baptist,  1 ;  Episcopalian,  3 ; 
Presbyterian,  3  ;  Congregational,  1 ;  Methodist,  6 ;  Roman 
Catholic,  3 ;  Universalist,  1 ;  Unitarian,  1 ;  Jews,  1  ;  Com¬ 
mon  Schools,  26  ;  wholesale  stores,  4  ;  retail  stores,  103 ;  Gro¬ 
ceries,  78;  Farmers,  297  ;  Merchants,  130;  Manufacturers, 
147  ;  Mechanics,  1003  ;  Clergymen,  21 ;  Physicians,  33  ;  Law¬ 
yers,  41. 

Geddes. — In  1793,  Mr.  James  Geddes  visited  Onondaga, 
with  a  view  of  selecting  a  location  for  his  future  residence, 
and  the  next  year  he  came  on,  and  arrived  on  the  hank  of 
the  lake,  in  April,  1794.  He  had  previous  to  this,  formed  a 
company  in  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  for  the  purpose  of  manu¬ 
facturing  salt.  The  other  members  of  the  company  came  on 
the  following  month  of  June.  The  members  of  this  company 
composed  the  village,  which  received  its  name  from  the  presi¬ 
dent  of  the  company,  and  entered  at  once  into  the  manufac¬ 
ture  of  salt.  The  Indians  took  offense  at  this,  contending, 
that  inasmuch  as  they  had  sold  to  the  state  of  Ncw-York  an 
undivided  half  of  the  salt  water  ;  and,  as  the  white  people  had 
already  taken  possession  of  the  salt  springs  at  Salina,  that 
therefore,  the  springs  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake  must  be¬ 
long  to  the  Indians.  They  did  not  at  all  understand  the 
white  man’s  phrase,  “tenants  in  common.”  Mr.  Webster, 
who  lived  among  the  Indians  and  knew  their  feelings,  and 
who  had  considerable  influence  over  them,  came  to  the  new 
works,  and  advised  Mr.  Geddes  to  meet  the  Indians  in  coun¬ 
cil,  and  have  the  matter  satisfactorily  adjusted.  This  advice 
was  followed  ;  but,  the  Indians  at  first  refused  to  treat,  re¬ 
jected  all  advances,  and  refused  to  accept  his  presents.  The 
council  was  dissolved  for  the  time  being  without  any  satisfac¬ 
tory  result.  But  he  took  the  precaution  to  leave  with  Mr. 
Webster  the  presents  to  be  given,  whenever  they  would  be  re¬ 
ceived.  The  Indians  smoked  and  deliberated  upon  the  mat¬ 
ter  a  long  time.  The  presents  were  enticing,  and  the  salt 
springs  they  did  not  like  to  yield.  Finally  this  Gordian  Knot 
was  severed,  by  adopting  him  into  the  nation,  thus  making 


150 


ONONDAGA. 


him  one  of  them ;  and  then,  as  an  Indian,  he  could  lawfully 
use  the  water.  This  was  rather  nice  maneuvering,  and  shows 
the  regard  these  red  men  had  for  their  laws,  and  that  there 
were  men  of  sagacity  in  those  days  as  well  as  now.  The  name 
given  to  the  newly  adopted  member  of  the  nation  was,  Don- 
da-dah-gwah,  which  signified,  the  place  where  canoes  dis¬ 
charged  their  freight,  by  which  name  he  was  always  addressed 
by  the  older  Onondagas,  while  he  lived. 

This  is  the  foundation  of  the  village  of  Geddes.  At  this 
time,  the  salt  works  were  accessible  only  by  a  road  from  Onon¬ 
daga  Hollow,  passing  through  a  swamp,  which  is  now  Syra¬ 
cuse.  It  became  necessary  for  the  company  at  Geddes  to 
connect  with  this  road,  and  by  the  aid  of  monies,  from  a  road 
fund  in  the  hands  and  under  the  control  of  three  county  com¬ 
missioners,  and  by  large  contributions,  Mr.  Geddes  made 
the  road  from  his  village,  to  the  road  from  Onondaga  Hollow 
to  Salt  Point,  cutting  a  part  of  the  timber  with  his  owrn  hands. 
The  owners  of  the  salt  works  at  Salt  Point,  were  not  at  all 
friendly  to  their  neighbors,  whom  they  considered  in  the  light 
of  rivals,  and  carried  their  resentment  so  far,  as  to  withhold 
assistance  in  raising  a  bridge  over  Onondaga  Creek,  and  to 
throw  out  hints,  that  it  could  not  be  raised  without  them. 
But  necessity  became  the  mother  of  invention,  and  made  the 
resources  of  the  directors  more  fruitful  than  their  most  san¬ 
guine  friends  anticipated.  The  first  bent  was  put  together, 
and  shoved  off  the  bank  of  the  creek,  the  mud  sill  placed  at 
the  foot  of  the  bank  ;  and  by  levers,  was  so  managed,  that 
one  man  could  exercise  the  power  of  many,  applied  in  the  or¬ 
dinary  manner.  The  bent  was  set  upright,  the  stringers  from 
the  top  of  the  bank  to  the  bent  being  placed,  so  much  was 
planked,  and  thus  a  foundation  was  made  from  wdiich  the  next 
bent  was  raised,  and  so  on,  until  the  bridge  was  finished,  and 
the  road  completed. 

Mr.  Geddes  continued  at  his  first  landing  place  but  a  short 
time,  (about  four  years,)  when  he  located  on  the  farm  now  oc¬ 
cupied  by  his  son,  Hon.  George  Geddes,  Fairmount.  The 
next  person  who  tried  his  fortune  at  this  place,  was  Mr.  Free- 


T  OWNS  S  ALINA. 


151 


man  Hughs,  from  Westfield,  Massachusetts,  who  located  there 
in  March,  1799,  at  18  years  of  age.  At  that  time,  there  was 
not  a  single  house  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Geddes,  except 
Geddes’  Salt  Works,  which  had  been  abandoned.  Here  he 
took  up  his  abode  three  days  and  three  nights,  all  alone,  and 
not  an  individual  nearer  than  Salt  Point — a  lonely  time  in¬ 
deed,  considering  the  state  of  the  country,  the  dark  and 
dreary  swamps,  the  wolves,  bears  and  wild  cats,  by  which  he 
was  surrounded. 

Mr.  Hughs  has  occupied  during  his  residence  at  Geddes, 
almost  every  station  connected  with  the  salt  business.  He 
has  bored  for  salt,  pumped  the  brine,  built  pumps,  made  and 
laid  aqueducts,  tubed  wells,  boiled  salt,  made  barrels,  packed 
salt,  inspected  it  for  six  years,  was  a  receiver  of  duties  for 
two  years,  boated  salt,  and  as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  tried 
those  who  had  evaded  the  payment  of  duties. 

At  one  time,  while  boring  for  salt,  about  half  way  from 
Geddes  to  Harbor  Brook,  the  workmen  struck  a  pine  log,  86 
feet  below  the  surface,  and  cut  through  it  with  their  drills. 
Several  borings  have  been  made  along  the  western  shore  of 
Onondaga  Lake,  but  owing  to  the  rock,  none  has  been  found 
as  highly  impregnated  with  salt  as  the  wells  at  Salina  and 
Syracuse.  The  strongest  water  is  invariably  found  where  the 
ancient  valley  is  deepest,  and  in  the  lowest  deposits  of  gra¬ 
vel.  One  of  the  earliest  and  greatest  improvements  about, 
the  village  of  Geddes,  was  the  making  a  road  from  that  place 
to  Salina.  The  ground  over  which  the  road  was  to  pass,  was 
a  perfect  quagmire,  filled  with  thick  cedar  timber  and  low 
brush  wood.  It  was  so  miry,  so  thick  with  underbrush,  and 
so  much  covered  with  water,  that  it  was  completely  impassa¬ 
ble,  and  could  not  be  surveyed  by  the  ordinary  methods.  In 
this  case,  the  Surveyor  set  his  compass  at  the  house  of  Sam’l 
R.  Mathews,  at  Salina,  and  took  the  bearing  of  Mr.  Hughs’ 
Chimney,  above  the  trees,  and  from  this  observation  the  route 
of  the  road  was  commenced,  by  cutting  brush  and  laying  them 
crosswise  on  the  line  of  the  road,  and  covering  them  with 
earth.  The  process  was  slow,  but  time  and  perseverance  has 


152 


ONONDAGA. 


accomplished  the  work,  and  an  excellent  road,  perfectly 
straight  between  the  two  villages,  is  the  result.  Clearing  of 
the  swamp  lands  has  cost,  ordinarily  about  one  hundred  dol¬ 
lars  per  acre.  Logs  cover  the  ground,  mixed  with  peat  to 
the  depth  of  six  feet,  and  in  some  instances  stumps  are  found 
far  below  the  surface. 

James  Lamb,  built  the  first  frame  house  at  Geddes,  about 
1803,  and  kept  a  tavern. 

The  first  school  house  was  built  of  logs,  near  where  the 
church  now  stands,  in  1804,  and  afterwards  the  present  brick 
school  house. 

The  first  physician  was  Dr.  Thayer,  and  lawyers,  B.  W.  Cur¬ 
tis  and  R.  S.  Orvis,  Esqrs. 

“  Apostolic  Church ,”  Geddes,  was  organized  January,  1832, 
and  the  church  edifice  erected  the  same  year.  Rev.  Richard 
Salmon  and  Rev.  M.  Whiting,  clergymen.  Religion  has  made 
but  slow  advances  at  this  place,  and  most  of  the  church-going 
people  attend  worship  at  the  city  of  Syracuse. 

In  1848,  Geddes  was  erected  a  town  by  itself,  including  all 
that  part  of  Salina  west  of  the  lake,  not  embraced  in  the  city 
of  Syracuse. 

Although  the  author  is  in  possession  of  no  recorded  histo¬ 
rical  or  documentary  proof  of  a  party  of  about  two  hundred 
men  proceeding  from  Fort  Schuyler  through  this  country,  to 
aid  General  Sullivan  in  his  Indian  expedition  of  1779,  yet 
from  several  revolutionary  soldiers,  and  particularly  a  Mr. 
Hobart,  late  of  Salina,  who  was  one  of  the  expedition,  there 
is  no  doubt  but  such  was  the  fact.  They  were  burdened  with 
supplies  and  baggage.  The  road  which  was  cut  through  by 
them,  was  easily  traced  at  the  time  the  first  settlements  were 
made  in  the  county.  They  crossed  the  Onondaga  valley  at 
Geddes,  and  from  there  to  the  Seneca  River,  below  Montezu¬ 
ma,  traces  of  their  march  were  plain  to  be  seen,  trees  had 
been  cut  close  to  the  ground,  and  young  bushes  had  filled  the 
path. 

The  name  Harbor  Brook,  in  this  town,  was  obtained  under 
the  following  circumstances.  At  the  time  Sir  John  Johnson, 


TOWNS.  —  SALINA. 


153 


with  his  Indian  and  Tory  allies,  made  an  incursion  into  the 
Mohawk  valley,  in  1779,  the  party  forming  the  expedition,  had 
proceeded  from  Niagara  along  the  Ontario  Lake  shore  to  Os¬ 
wego,  and  up  the  river  to  Onondaga  Lake.  For  fear  of  dis¬ 
covery,  if  their  boats  were  left  on  the  lake  shore,  they  run 
them  up  this  small  stream,  among  the  thick  bushes  and  brakes. 
A  party  was  sent  from  Fort  Schuyler  to  destroy  them,  but 
did  not  succeed  in  ascertaining  where  they  were  concealed ; 
but  were  surprised  during  the  search,  taken  prisoners,  and 
carried  captive  to  Canada.  On  the  first  night  of  their  depar¬ 
ture,  they  encamped  for  the  night  at  Three-River-Point,  where 
the  prisoners  were  bound  and  tied  to  trees  until  morning. 
Capt.  Patrick  McGee,  was  one  of  the  prisoners,  and  was  so 
much  pleased  with  the  beauty  of  the  place  at  this  time,  at 
the  junction  of  the  rivers,  that  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  se¬ 
lected  it  for  his  residence,  spent  the  residue  of  his  life  there, 
and  was  buried  on  the  spot  lie  had  previously  selected  for 
that  purpose.  These  facts  were  related  by  him,  during  his  life. 

Great  Alarm  in  1794. — In  the  early  part  of  the  spring 
and  summer  of  1794,  there  was  a  wonderful  alarm  and  panic 
among  the  settlers  of  Onondaga  County.  It  was  occasioned 
mainly  by  the  belligerent  spirit  of  the  Indians,  manifesting 
itself  in  the  northern  and  western  parts  of  the  State  of  New- 
York,  and  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  The  alarm  was  so  great,  and 
immediate  danger  so  apparent,  that  many  prudent  persons 
buried  their  most  valuable  effects,  and  not  a  few  were  on  the 
point  of  hastily  leaving  the  country.  To  such  a  height  were 
their  fears  excited,  that  it  was  thought  the  settlements  in  the 
vicinity  of  Onondaga,  would  be  broken  up.  A  meeting  of 
the  inhabitants  of  this  part  of  the  county  was  called  at  More¬ 
house’s  tavern,  to  consult  and  devise  means  for  the  public 
safety.  Mr.  Jonathan  Russell  was  dispatched  to  Albanj7,  with 
instructions  to  lay  the  situation  of  the  settlement  before  the 
Governor  of  the  State.  After  the  return  of  Mr.  Russell,  a 
subsequent  meeting  was  called  of  the  inhabitants,  and  Gover¬ 
nor  Clinton  about  the  middle  of  May,  dispatched  General 


154 


ONONDAGA. 


William  North,  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  and  Adju¬ 
tant  General  David  Van  Horne,  who  were  to  call  on  the  Baron 
Steuben,  then  at  his  residence  in  Oneida  County.  They  four 
were  to  attend  this  meeting.  These  gentlemen,  with  others, 
had  been  recently  appointed  commissioners  by  the  Legislature 
of  the  State  of  New-York,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  such 
fortifications,  as  in  their  judgment  should  be  deemed  necessa¬ 
ry  for  the  security  of  the  western  and  northern  frontier  of 
the  State.  Twelve  thousand  pounds  had  been  appropriated 
by  the  Legislature  to  defray  any  expenses  thus  made.  The 
military  force  of  the  county  were  assembled  at  Morehouse’s, 
and  reviewed  by  the  Baron  and  his  associates,  who  proceeded 
to  Salt  Point,  examined  the  position,  advised  the  erection  of 
a  block  house ,  and  in  company  of  a  committee  of  public  safe¬ 
ty,  consisting  of  Moses  De  Witt,  Isaac  V an  Vleck,  Thomas 
Orman,  Simon  Phares,  and  John  Danforth,  proceeded  to  stake 
out  the  ground  near  the  principal  Salt  Spring.  They  made 
sundry  special  military  appointments,  and  gave  directions  for 
its  speedy  erection.  Major  Danforth  and  Major  Moses  De 
Witt,  were  commissioned  to  superintend  the  building  of  the 
block  house,  which  was  soon  completed,  under  the  immediate 
inspection  of  Mr.  Cornelius  Higgins,  as  master  builder.  It 
was  built  of  substantial  squared  oak  logs,  with  a  high  picket 
work  around  it  of  large  cedar  posts.  The  commissioners  rep¬ 
resented  to  the  people  that  there  was  great  reason  to  appre¬ 
hend  an  Indian  war  ;  and  at  one  time  the  people  became  so 
much  alarmed  that  they  took  refuge  in  what  was  then  called 
Thompson’s  sugar  bush,  near  where  Dioclesian  Alvord  now  re¬ 
sides,  and  there  remained  for  three  days  and  nights.  Judge 
James  Geddes  thus  speaks  of  this  affair,  in  a  MS.  before  us : 

“  The  commissioners  informed  us  that  they  had  come  to  for¬ 
tify  Three-River-Point  and  Salt  Point.  Myself  and  all  my 
hands  were  summoned  across  the  lake  to  be  reviewed  by  Baj 
ron  Steuben.  Having  shook  hands  with  all  of  us,  and  en¬ 
quired  the  place  of  our  nativity,  the  Baron  informed  us  of  our 
danger,  and  admonished  us  to  be  on  the  look-out  for  Indians. 
How  it  happened,  I  cannot  now  well  account  for  it,  but  I  par- 


155 


/ 

TOWNS.— S  ALINA. 

took  of  none  of  his  fears,  and  all  my  hands  remained  perfect¬ 
ly  tranquil.  Not  so  with  the  people  of  Salt  Point;  for  while 
the  block  house  and  stockade  was  building  before  their  eyes, 
at  the  expense  and  by  authority  of  the  State,  it  seemed  that 
as  loyal  people  they  could  be  no  less  than  afraid.  And  one 
afternoon  terror  took  such  hold  of  them  that  all  the  houses 
were  emptied,  and  men,  women  and  children  all  took  to  the 
woods,  and  spent  that  night  and  the  following  there  for  safe¬ 
ty.  As  none  of  my  folks  happened  to  go  over  to  the  Point 
for  two  days,  the  conclusion  there,  was  that  the  Indians  hav¬ 
ing  found  us,  had  proceeded  no  further,  and  that  they  owed 
their  safety  to  our  being  between  them  and  the  point  of  dan¬ 
ger,  for  from  the  west  they  knew  the  Indians  would  come,  and 
the  attack  would  certainly  be  upon  us  first.” 

On  this  occasion,  Mr.  Jonathan  Russell,  of  Pompey,  enlist¬ 
ed  an  independent  volunteer  company,  called  the  “  Grena¬ 
diers.”  Anson  Jackson  was  his  Lieutenant,  and  Jonathan 
Bond,  Ensign.  This  company  manned  the  block  house,  and 
were  furnished  with  a  field  piece,  (a  six  pounder,)  with  small 
arms,  ammunition,  rations,  &c.,  from  the  Commissary’s  de¬ 
partment  of  the  State  of  New-York,  by  order  of  Governor 
Clinton.  A  depot  was  established  at  Jeremiah  Jackson’s  Mills, 
near  Jamesville,  and  warlike  implements  and  stores  deposited 
there,  and  all  male  persons  over  fourteen  years  of  age,  were 
required  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  for  any  emergency.* 
In  addition  to  the  permanent  force  of  Capt.  Russell’s  com¬ 
pany,  which  was  to  keep  garrison,  three  men  were  drafted 
from  each  militia  company  then  organized  on  the  Military 
Tract,  who  were  to  arm  themselves  completely,  from  the  de- 


*  Col.  Jeremiah  Jackson  was  at  the  taking  of  Quebec,  under  General  Wolfe,  in 
1759.  He  afterwards  married  and  settled  in  Massachusetts,  and  in  the  struggle 
for  independence,  entered  the  American  army,  with  a  Captain’s  commission,  and 
served  with  credit  to  himself  and  country  through  a  great  part  of  the  war.  He 
had  three  sons  with  him.  While  in  the  army  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Major 
Danforth,  through  whose  instrumentality  he  was  induced  to  move  to  this  coun¬ 
ty  in  1791,  and  become  the  purchaser  of  Danforth’s  mills.  He  subsequently 
moved  to  the  town  of  Pompey,  and  died  on  his  farm  in  what  is  since  La  Fayette, 
in  1802,  and  was  buried  with  military  honors. 


156 


ONONDAGA. 


pot  at  Jackson’s  Mills,  and  in  case  of  any  sudden  assault  or 
attack,  to  proceed,  without  a  moment’.s  delay  to  the  place  to 
be  defended.*  They  were  styled  “ minute  men,'’  and  kept 
up  a  show  of  force,  long  after  affairs  had  assumed  a  peaceful 
aspect.  On  one  occasion  this  alarm  was  greatly  increased  by 
the  rejoicing  at  Fort  Ontario,  (then  in  possession  of  the  Brit¬ 
ish,)  on  the  4th  of  June  in  that  year,  celebrating  the  birth¬ 
day  of  King  George  III.  The  roar  of  cannon  fired  at  Oswe¬ 
go,  was  distinctly  heard  throughout  the  eastern  part  of  the 
county  ;  many  were  almost  distracted  with  fear,  and  went  run¬ 
ning  to  and  fro  inquiring  of  every  person  they  met  whether 
the  enemy  were  in  sight.  Some  were  so  much  alarmed  as  to 
bid  their  friends  farewell,  as  if  never  to  see  them  more.  News 
soon  arrived  of  the  true  cause  of  the  firing  at  Oswego,  upon 
which  the  agonies  of  terror  and  despair  were  succeeded  by 
the  most  frantic  demonstrations  of  joy. 

The  immediate  cause  of  the  alarm  which  came  so  near  an¬ 
nihilating  the  Onondaga  settlement,  was  this  :  It  seems  that 
as  soon  as  navigation  had  opened  in  the  spring  of  1794,  Sir 
John  Johnson,  agent  of  Indian  Affairs  in  Canada,  had  or¬ 
dered  a  boat-load  of  stores  from  Albany,  consisting  chiefly  of 
groceries,  apple-trees,  shrubs,  &c.,  with  a  variety  of  articles 
suitable  for  the  comfort  and  advancement  of  the  Mohawk  set¬ 
tlement,  then  recently  made  upon  Grand  River.  On  the  re¬ 
turn  of  this  boat,  a  party  of  some  thirty  or  forty  men,  way¬ 
laid  it  near  Three-River-Point,  and  plundered  it  of  its  entire 
cargo,  afterwards  distributing  it  among  themselves.  Johnson 
was  highly  incensed  at  this  premeditated  insult  and  robbery. 
He  hastened  to  Oswego,  where  the  British  garrison  was  still 
kept,  and  there  related  the  story  of  his  wrongs.  This  at  once 
aroused  the  ire  of  the  British  officers,  and  it  was  forthwith  de¬ 
termined  that  Johnson  and  Brant  should  at  once  raise  a  body 


*  April  9th,  1795,  an  act  was  passed  granting  to  Jonathan  Russell  thirty  pounds 
fifteen  shillings,  and  to  Comfort  Tyler,  three  pounds  four  shillings,  for  services  and 
expenses  in  transporting  arms,  ammunition,  and  one  piece  of  ordnance  from  Fort 
Stanwix,  to  the  Salt  Springs,  for  the  defense  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  of 
Onondaga. 


TOWNS.— S  ALINA. 


157 


of  soldiers  and  Indians  in  Canada,  and  in  revenge,  make  a 
sudden  descent  upon  the  Onondaga  settlement,  where  it  was 
presumed  most  of  the  aggressors  resided.  Indians  soon  gath¬ 
ered  in  considerable  numbers,  in  the  vicinity  of  Niagara  and 
Oswego,  burning  to  revenge  the  wrongs  of  their  favorite  lead¬ 
ers.  It  was  reported  that  five  hundred  Messasagues  were  al¬ 
ready  on  their  way.  At  this  time  too,  a  number  of  disaffect¬ 
ed  Onondagas  had  joined  the  western  Indians  against  General 
Wayne.  They  had  engaged  some  of  these  to  co-operate  with 
themselves,  and  had  calculated,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that 
Wayne  would  be  defeated  as  had  been  his  predecessors,  Gen¬ 
erals  Harmar  and  St.  Clair.  In  case  of  that  event,  so  confi¬ 
dently  expected,  they  were  all  to  return,  and  with  the  remain¬ 
ing  Onondagas,  assist  the  common  enemy  in  the  destruction 
of  the  Onondaga  settlement.  One  thing  more  perhaps  excit¬ 
ed  these  persons  to  commit  the  aggressive  act  complained  of 
upon  the  boat.  The  British  garrison  at  Oswego  had  assumed 
the  right  to  levy  and  collect  duties  on  all  American  boats 
passing  that  fortress,  and  had  employed  persons  as  spies  to 
give  notice  of  any  boats  which  designed  to  “run”  the  fort. 
Several  boats  had  been  seized  and  confiscated.  Two  of  these 
renegades  had  previously  been  publicly  whipped  at  Salt  Point. 
This  state  of  things,  as  a  matter  of  course,  produced  much 
angry  excitement  throughout  the  county.  However,  after 
some  considerable  tumultuous  contention,  satisfaction  was  ren¬ 
dered,  and  as  far  as  possible,  restitution  made  to  the  injured 
parties  in  the  case,  which  had  the  effect,  in  some  degree,  to 
restore  a  better  state  of  feeling. 

The  participators  in  this  affair  kept  concealed  for  a  long 
time,  fearing  the  vengeance  of  the  laws ;  for  the  aggression 
was  severely  reprehended  by  a  large  majority  of  the  inhabi¬ 
tants. 

The  excuse  offered  for  so  flagrant  an  act,  was  this :  the 
British  cruisers  had  continued  the  search  and  seizure  of  Ameri¬ 
can  vessels  and  the  impressment  of  American  seamen,  after 
the  preliminary  articles  of  peace  were  agreed  upon  between 
the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  in  1782.  The  subject 


158 


ONONDAGA. 


of  granting  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  was  a  measure 
strongly  advocated  by  many  well  disposed  persons  of  that 
day ;  and  a  report  had  spread  through  this  country,  that  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  had  already  granted  these  pri¬ 
vileges  to  certain  individuals,  and  that  several  were  already 
commissioned  in  the  privateering  service.  Under  this  belief, 
and  properly  to  resent  the  seizures  made  at  Oswego,  this 
party  commissioned  themselves,  and  presumed  the  seizure  of 
British  goods,  would  be  sanctioned  by  the  people  and  authori¬ 
ties  of  the  United  States  ;  but  in  this  they  were  sadly  mista¬ 
ken.  However,  the  fears  of  the  inhabitants  were  quieted  by 
the  successful  and  energetic  campaign  of  General  Wayne  in 
Ohio,  and  the  destruction  of  the  Indian  settlements  in  that 
quarter,  the  same  year ;  and  confidence  was  fully  restored 
throughout  the  country,  by  the  timely  settlement  of  differ¬ 
ences  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  by  Mr. 
Jay’s  treaty  the  following  year,  and  the  final  removal  of  the 
British  garrison  from  Oswego  ;  since  which,  the  alarm  of  war 
has  not  interrupted  the  prosperity  of  Onondaga. 

There  is  oftentimes  a  singularity  in  the  closing  scenes  of 
the  lives  of  distinguished  men ;  and  it  may  not  be  unworthy 
of  remark,  that  Frederick  William  Augustus,  Baron  de  Steu¬ 
ben,  once  an  Aid-de-Camp  to  Frederick  the  Great,  King  of 
Prussia ;  and  Quartermaster  General,  Chevalier  of  the  Order 
of  Merit,  Grand  Marshal  of  the  Court  of  Hohenzollen,  Colo¬ 
nel  in  the  Circle  of  Suabia,  Knight  of  the  Order  of  Fidelity, 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  armies  of  the  Prince  of  Baden, 
Major  General  in  the  armies  of  the  United  States,  and  In¬ 
spector  General  of  the  same — the  fortunate  soldier  of  fifty 
battles,  an  admirer  of  freedom,  the  friend  of  Washington, 
the  man  of  virtue,  fidelity  and  honor,  performed  his  last  mili¬ 
tary  service  in  reviewing  a  few  score  of  unarmed,  half  clad 
militia,  and  in  selecting  a  site  for  a  block  house,  for  the  de¬ 
fense  of  the  frontier  of  New-York,  in  the  county  of  Onondaga, 
at  Salt  Point,  in  1794.  The  Baron  died  at  his  residence  in 
Steuben,  Oneida  County,  November,  1795. 


\  ^ 

W  D.  Nichols  Sc. 


TOWNS.— LYSANDER.— DR.  BALDWIN.  159 


Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  was  the  second  son  of  Captain 
Samuel  Baldwin,  of  Windsor,  Berkshire  County,  Massachu¬ 
setts,  and  was  horn  in  that  town,  on  the  3d  of  June,  1768. 

The  name  and  family  are  among  the  most  ancient  in  this 
country.  The  name  is  of  Saxon  origin,  and  the  family  records 
trace  their  genealogy  as  far  back  as  the  fourteenth  century ; 
at  which  time,  some  of  their  remote  ancestors  were  settled  at 
a  place  known  as  Baldwinstine,  on  the  Biver  Rhine,  in  Ger¬ 
many.  Sometime  during  that  century,  they  removed  to  Kent, 
in  England  ;  and  from  there  emigrated  with  Davenport,  Whit¬ 
field  and  others,  in  1639,  to  Milford,  Connecticut,  thence  to 
Hadley,  Hampshire  County,  Massachusetts,  thence  to  Wind¬ 
sor,  Berkshire  County. 

The  immediate  ancestor  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  was  a  Captain  in 
the  Revolutionary  army,  and  was  distinguished  for  his  gal¬ 
lantry  and  soldierlike  bearing.  He  was  a  man  of  eminent 
piety  and  benevolence,  and  died  at  Windsor,  at  an  advanced 

age. 

The  grandfather  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  was  a  clergyman  in  Bos¬ 
ton,  with  whom  Dr.  B.  lived  for  several  years,  in  the  early 
part  of  his  life.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Windsor,  was 
educated  at  William’s  College,  Berkshire  County,  at  which 
place  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  and  finished  his 
professional  studies  with  the  late  Dr.  Willard,  of  Albany,  and 
with  whom  for  a  time  he  practiced  in  his  profession.  While 
in  Albany,  he  received  the  appointment  of  Physician  and  Sur¬ 
geon  to  the  “  Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company,”  who  were 
at  the  time  engaged,  with  several  hundred  laborers,  in  con¬ 
structing  the  canal  and  locks  at  Little  Falls.  At  this  place 
he  remained,  until  the  completion  of  that  work. 

From  Little  Falls,  Dr.  Baldwin  with  his  family,  in  1797, 
removed  to  the  town  of  Ovid,  Seneca  County,  where  he  owned 
a  Military  Lot,  on  which  ho  settled,  and  where  he  continued 
until  the  year  1801  or  1802,  when  he  removed  to  Onondaga 
East  Hill,  at  which  place  he  resided,  on  a  large  tract  of  land, 
most  of  which  he  had  purchased  of  the  State.  Here  he  re¬ 
mained  until  the  spring  of  1807,  when  he  removed  to  Lysan- 


160 


ONONDAGA. 


der,  and  founded  the  village  of  Baldwinsville,  where  he  con- 
tinued  to  reside  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

During  his  residence  at  Little  Falls,  Dr.  Baldwin  purchased 
a  farm,  brought  it  under  a  fine  state  of  cultivation,  and  erected 
upon  it  a  good  houseand  other  buildings. 

While  at  Ovid,  he  cleared  up  most  of  his  lot,  erected  a  mill, 
established  a  store,  and  put  up  several  buildings.  At  Onon¬ 
daga,  he  cleared  up  and  improved  several  farms  on  his  tract 
of  land,  brought  into  the  country  from  Connecticut,  large 
flocks  of  sheep,  which,  at  that  early  period,  were  greatly 
needed  ;  many  of  which,  were  put  out  among  the  less  wealthy 
class  of  farmers,  who  at  that  time,  were  unable  to  purchase 
for  themselves ;  and,  in  various  other  ways  employed  his 
means  (which  at  that  period  were  more  ample  than  those  of 
any  other  man  in  the  county,)  in  promoting  his  own  and  the 
public  interests. 

His  efforts  at  Baldwinsville,  are  detailed  in  the  history  of 
that  place,  and  to  which  the  reader  is  referred. 

There  was  a  service  which  he  rendered  during  the  war  of 
1812,  which  ought  not  to  be  overlooked.  Baldwinsville  be¬ 
ing  on  the  direct  route  to  the  frontier,  and  only  twenty-four 
miles  distant ;  he,  perceiving  the  great  want  of  effective  fire¬ 
arms,  procured  a  loan  from  Governor  Tompkins,  of  several 
hundred  stand,  which  he  issued  to  such  as  were  not  provided, 
and  who  were  on  their  way  to  meet  the  enemy,  who  were  daily 
expected  at  Oswego,  taking  for  each  stand  so  delivered  a  re¬ 
ceipt.  This  duty  he  continued  to  discharge  -without  pay  ;  and, 
at  the  close  of  the  war,  returned  the  arms  to  the  Government. 
He  also  built  a  large  flotilla  of  boats,  which  were  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States,  during  most  of  the  war.  He  rvas  in  the 
battle  at  Oswego,  and  commanded  a  body  of  men  at  the  at¬ 
tack  upon  that  place,  at  which  time  he  received  a  slight  wound 
in  the  head. 

In  stature,  Dr.  Baldwin  was  considerably  above  the  ordi¬ 
nary  size,  well  built,  compact,  strong,  muscular  and  active. 
His  complexion  florid,  his  hair  of  a  sandy  tinge,  his  counte¬ 
nance  frank,  open  and  benevolent,  and  his  manners  easy. 


TO  W  NS.— LY  SANDER. 


161 


Those  who  remember  him,  before  age  and  disease  had  com¬ 
menced  their  ravages,  speak  of  him  as  an  uncommonly  good 
looking  man.  When  occasion  required,  he  was  resolute,  firm 
and  brave  ;  and,  in  his  ordinary  intercourse,  was  mild,  bland, 
sometimes  playful,  and  always  obliging.  He  was  among  the 
early,  most  prominent,  active  and  enterprising  settlers  of  tliis 
county. 

He  died  at  Onondaga  East  Hill,  (whither  he  had  gone  from 
Baldwinsville  on  a  visit,)  on  the  3d  day  of  March,  1827,  in 
the  fifty-ninth  year  of  Ids  age. 

There  are  many  of  the  friends  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  who  knew 
him  well  and  intimately,  who  still  survive  him.  The  testi¬ 
mony  which  they  bear  respecting  him,  is  concurrent  and  uni¬ 
form.  All  agree,  that  he  was  a  man  of  indomitable  energy, 
great  enterprise,  and  unbounded  benevolence,  ardent  in  tem¬ 
perament,  and  strong  in  his  attachments  ;  and  that  both  he 
and  Mrs.  Baldwin,  who  was  a  lady  of  uncommon  endowments 
and  eminent  piety,  were  admirably  calculated  for  the  severe 
and  arduous  duties  which  devolved  upon  them  in  the  settle¬ 
ment  of  a  wilderness  country.  Both  were  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church  ;  and  dying  within  fourteen  days  of  each  other, 
were  buried  in  one  grave,  in  the  cemetery  at  Baldwinsville, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river. 

Few  persons  leave  the  stage  and  scenes  of  their  usefulness, 
so  universally  beloved  in  life,  and  fewer  are  as  much  lamented 
in  their  death. 

Lysander. — This  was  one  of  the  original  eleven  towns  of 
the  county  of  Onondaga,  at  the  time  of  its  organization  in 
1794,  and  was  number  one  of  the  Military  Townships.  It 
then  embraced  the  townships  of  Lysander,  Hannibal  and  Ci¬ 
cero,  and  the  first  town  meeting  was  by  law  directed  to  be  held 
at  the  house  of  Ryal  Bingham,  then  residing  at  Three-River- 
Point.  Hannibal,  now  in  Oswego  County,  was  taken  from  it 
in  1806,  and  Cicero  in  1807.  In  1816,  when  the  county  of 
Oswego  was  organized,  thirty-three  lots  of  the  township  of 
Lysander  were  included  in  the  county  of  Oswego,  and  town 

b  11 


162 


ONONDAGA. 


of  Granby,  which  leaves  but  sixty-seven  lots  in  the  present 
town  of  Lysander.  It  is  situated  in  the  north-west  corner  of 
the  county.  The  earliest  settlers  in  this  town  are  nearly  as 
follows :  Ryal  Bingham,  near  Three-River-Point,  in  1793  ; 
Jonathan  Palmer,  near  the  centre  of  the  town,  same  year; 
Reuben  Smith,  Adam  Emerick,  Elijah  and  Solomon  Toll,  Col. 
Thomas  Farrington,  Elijah  Mann,  John  Mcllarrie,  William 
Lindsey,  Ebenezer  Wells,  James  Cowan,  Abner  and  Manly 
Vickery,  Job  Loomis,  John  P.  Schuyler,  all  came  in  about  the 
year  1800,  some  of  them  a  year  or  two  previous.  Jacobus 
De  Puy  cleared  off  about  fifty  acres  in  1805  and  ’6,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river  at  Baldwinsville,  and  put  it  into  wheat. 

This  town  at  first,  owing  in  a  measure  to  the  unhealthiness 
of  the  location,  was  not  very  rapidly  settled,  but  as  clearings 
were  made,  and  improvements  extended,  its  settlement  in¬ 
creased  with  greater  celerity. 

As  the  flourishing  village  of  Baldwinsville,  and  its  rise  and 
progress  constitute  what  have  been  the  principal  business 
events  connected  with  the  early  history  of  this  town,  we  shall 
in  a  measure  confine  our  remarks  to  the  village  and  vicinity. 

This  important  village  is  situated  in  the  towns  of  Lysander 
and  Van  Buren,  on  both  sides  of  the  Seneca  River,  five  miles 
west  of  the  outlet  of  Onondaga  Lake,  about  twelve  miles 
north-west  from  Syracuse,  and  in  point  of  business,  wealth 
and  population,  ranks  next  to  it.  Its  name  is  derived  from 
its  founder,  Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  who  commenced  opera¬ 
tions  here  in  the  spring  of  1807  ;  at  which  time  it  was  named 
“  Columbia ,”  which  name  it  bore  until  the  establishment 
of  a  Post  Office  in  1815,  when  the  name  was  changed  by  the 
Post  Master  General  (in  consequence  of  there  being  another 
Post  Town  of  the  same  name  in  the  State)  to  “ Baldwins 
Bridge .”  But  the  name  Baldwinsville,  being  preferred  by 
the  inhabitants,  it  was  substituted  by  the  Post  Office  Depart¬ 
ment,  which  name  it  has  since  continued  to  bear. 

The  site  of  that  part  of  the  village  located  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  river,  was  selected  as  a  desirable  place  of  resi¬ 
dence  by  Mrs.  Baldwin,  in  1797,  while  the  family  were  on 


TOWN  S.—LYSAN  D  E  11. 


163 


their  v.ay  to  Ovid,  Seneca  County,  by  way  of  the  Mohawk 
River,  Wood  Creek,  Oneida  Lake  and  River,  Seneca  River 
and  Cayuga  Lake,  to  their  newly  selected  home.  At  that 
time  this  was  the  only  route  of  communication  between  the 
eastern  and  western  portions  of  the  State.  Mrs.  Baldwin, 
having  left  her  comfortable  home  at  Little  Falls  with  regret, 
was  assured  by  her  husband  that  he  would  purchase  the  first 
place  on  their  route,  which  she  might  select.  On  their  way 
up  the  placid  waters  of  the  Seneca,  rounding  into  the  charm¬ 
ing  bay  now  just  below  the  village,  on  a  clear  autumnal  morn¬ 
ing,  they  were  charmed  with  the  delightful  prospect  here  pre¬ 
sented.  Every  thing  wore  the  air  of  solitude,  yet  there  was 
something,  after  all,  exceedingly  attractive  in  the  scene.  They 
gazed  upon  it  with  admiration,  and  Mrs.  Baldwin  involunta¬ 
rily  exclaimed,  “  how  beautiful then  addressing  herself  to 
her  husband,  remarked,  “  if  our  property  lay  here,  remote  from 
settlements  and  lonely  as  it  is,  I  should  be  willing  to  stop  and 
take  up  my  residence  for  life.”  That  day  wras  employed  in 
getting  their  boat  over  the  rapids.  Their  leisure  time  was 
spent  in  examining  more,  minutely  the  prospect  they  had  so 
much  admired  in  the  morning.  The  result  was,  that  both 
were  confirmed  in  their  first  impressions  relating  to  this  charm¬ 
ing  spot.  The  following  night  they  lodged  wfith  a  Mr.  Mc- 
Harrie,  who  had  then  settled  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river, 
some  forty  rods  above  where  the  dam  now  joins  that  shore. 
From  Mr.  McHarrie,  Dr.  Baldwin  learned  who  was  the  owner 
of  the  favorite  lot  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  year,  (1798,)  Dr.  Baldwin  went  to  Philadelphia  to  the 
owner  and  purchased  it ;  since  which  he  and  his  descendants 
have  continued  its  owners.  After  residing  a  few  years  at 
Ovid,  he  sold  his  property  there  and  came  to  Onondaga.  In 
the  mean  time,  settlers  had  located  in  different  parts  of  the 
town  of  Lysander,  and  north  part  of  Camillus,  now  Van  Bu- 
ren,  and  finding  themselves  in  need  of  mills,  and  knowing 
McPIarrie’s  rifts  to  be  an  excellent  water  power,  these  scatter¬ 
ing  settlers  assembled,  drew  up  a  memorial,  and  sent  it  on  by 
a  strong  delegation,  in  the  spring  of  1807,  to  Dr.  Baldwin, 


164 


ONONDAGA. 


then  residing  at  Onondaga,  urging  him,  in  the  strongest  terms, 
to  improve  his  water  power  in  the  erection  of  mills  upon  those 
rapids.  He  had  contemplated  doing  this  at  some  future  pe¬ 
riod,  but  not  so  soon  by  five  or  six  years.  Finally,  yielding 
to  entreaty,  he  resolved  forthwith  to  enter  upon  the  work. 
He  immediately  collected  a  number  of  laborers  and  mechan¬ 
ics,  and  proceeded  at  once  by  way  of  Onondaga  Lake  and 
Seneca  Iliver,  (there  being  no  roads,)  to  the  place  of  destina¬ 
tion.  Previous  to  this,  he  had  made  arrangements  for  the 
erection  of  a  suitable  log  cabin  for  himself  and  workmen,  but 
upon  arrival,  he  found  only  a  couple  of  large  cribs,  without 
roofs  or  floors.  The  site  of  these  structures  was  on  the  bank 
of  the  river,  at  the  point  where  the  canal  above  the  pond 
leads  from  it.  They  were  soon  converted  into  comfortable 
dwellings.  This  double  cabin  was  one  of  the  first  erected  in 
this  part  of  the  town. 

Supposing  that  a  small  stream,  which  empties  into  the  river 
just  below  the  site  of  the  old  lock,  would,  with  the  addition 
of  so  much  water  as  might  be  thrown  into  it,  by  a  race  and 
wins;  dam  extending  into  the  river,  be  sufficient  to  drive  his 
mills,  he  commenced  the  erection  of  a  grist  and  saw  mill  at 
that  point.  All  hands  applied  themselves  most  assiduously  to 
the  work,  and  every  thing  moved  prosperously  on,  till  about 
the  middle  of  August,  when  what  has  since  been  known  as  the 
sickly  season,  commenced.  Within  one  week  every  mechanic 
and  laborer  was  attacked  with  a  malignant  fever.  Not  one 
escaped,  except  a  Revolutionary  soldier  known  as  “  Uncle  Bill 
Johnson,”  (recently  deceased,;  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baldwin. 
These  were  the  only  persons  who  left  Onondaga  in  the  spring 
in  health,  who  did  not  fall  victims  to  that  disease.  The  log 
cabins  were  converted  into  hospitals,  and  the  whole  time  of 
those  who  escaped,  was  taken  up  in  attending  upon  the  sick, 
and  burying  the  dead.  The  work  was  of  course  for  a  time 
suspended,  but  as  soon  as  possible  a  new  set  of  hands  were 
employed  to  prosecute  it,  and  before  they  had  been  engaged 
a  fortnight,  every  man  was  attacked  with  this  direful  dis¬ 
ease.  The  season  was  now  too  far  advanced  for  further 


T  O  W  N  S L  Y  S  A  N  D  E  R . 


165 


operations,  and  the  work  was  abandoned  till  the  following 
spring,  when  it  was  again  renewed  with  vigor,  and  before  the 
sickly  season  again  returned,  the  mill,  race  and  dams  were  all 
completed.  But  here  a  new  difficulty  arose.  A  mistake  had 
been  made  in  the  level ;  the  water  would  not  flow  into  the 
race,  and  the  only  supply  was  to  be  obtained  from  the  small 
stream  on  which  the  mills  stood,  which  at  some  seasons  of  the 
year  was  limited  and  precarious.  Thus  situated,  he  resolved 
to  push  his  dam  across  the  river,  and  at  once  set  about  the 
work.  It  was  again  suspended  on  account  of  sickness  among 
the  workmen,  and  it  was  not  till  late  in  autumn  that  Dr.  Bald¬ 
win  finished  his  dam,  saw  his  race  supplied  with  water,  and 
his  mills  in  successful  operation.  Desirable  as  this  object  was, 
it  did  not  compensate  for  the  personal  sacrifices  already  made. 
Although  but  the  second  year  since  the  first  blow  was  struck, 
the  settlement  had  already  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  log 
town  in  the  wilderness.  Many  succeeding  years  the  same  dif¬ 
ficulties  were  experienced.  The  same  malignant  disease  vis¬ 
ited  this  favorite  spot,  and  many  were  brought  by  it  to  pre¬ 
mature  graves. 

The  Seneca  River,  being  a  public  highway,  and  much  used 
as  such,  it  became  immediately  necessary  to  provide  for  the 
passage  of  boats  around  the  dam.  Dr.  Baldwin  therefore  con¬ 
structed  a  canal  and  lock  for  chat  purpose.  In  1808,  he  pe¬ 
titioned  the  Legislature  for  permission  to  erect  a  dam,  locks 
and  a  canal,  at  that  point.  The  State  having  previously  trans¬ 
ferred  its  title  to  the  “Inland  Lock  Navigation  Company,” 
could  not  with  propriety  grant  privileges  to  Mr.  Baldwin.  He 
thereupon  purchased  of  said  company,  their  right  and  interest 
to  all  the  waters,  between  the  outlet  of  Oneida  River  and 
Cayuga  Lake.  In  1809,  the  Legislature  granted  his  petition 
for  such  erections  and  improvements.  Indeed,  such  was  the 
difficulty  in  ascending  those  rapids,  and  danger  in  descending 
them,  and  so  great  had  been  the  loss  of  property  on  the  hid¬ 
den  rocks  in  the  channel,  that  it  was  considered  by  the  State 
and  the  Company,  very  desirable  to  have  the  improvements 
made,  inasmuch  as  the  Company  long  before  had  ceased  to  ex- 


166 


ONOJNfD  AG  A. 


pend  money  for  the  improvement  of  those  waters.  This  right 
was  granted  to  Dr.  Baldwin,  and  his  assigns,  for  twenty  years. 
The  collection  of  certain  tolls  was  authorized  upon  all  boats 
passing  through  said  canal  and  locks.  At  first  the  amounts 
collected  were  small,  but  with  the  growth  of  the  country  and 
increase  of  business  they  increased,  and  in  time  would  have 
repaid  the  outlay,  had  not  the  State  changed  its  policy  and 
taken  the  entire  subject  of  internal  improvements,  under  its 
own  control.  The  completion  of  the  middle  section  of  the 
Erie  Canal,  rendered  nugatory  the  business  of  the  original 
routes,  since  which  this  canal  and  the  locks  have  been  only  a 
bill  of  expense,  instead  of  affording  revenue.  In  1809,  the 
dam  across  the  river  was  swept  away  by  a  heavy  spring  freshet, 
and  such  was  the  nature  of  the  damage  sustained,  that  it  be¬ 
came  necessary  to  erect  a  new  dam,  which  was  not  completed 
till  the  following  year,  when  six  saw  mills  under  one  roof  were 
soon  after  put  in  successful  operation  by  Dr.  Baldwin.  He 
this  year  erected  a  toll  bridge  across  the  river  under  provi¬ 
sions  made  by  statute,  upon  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  free 
bridge. 

About  this  time,  a  new  grist  mill  of  enlarged  dimensions 
was  erected  by  Dr.  Baldwin,  near  the  site  of  the  present 
woolen  factory.  The  same  was  afterwards  converted  into  a 
woolen  factory,  and  was  subsequently  burned  down.  He  used 
his  efforts  successfully  to  procure  the  laying  out  of  the  State 
Road,  between  Onondaga  Hill  and  Oswego,  and  also  the  act 
to  be  passed,  authorizing  the  construction  of  a  turnpike  from 
Westmoreland  to  Sodus  Bay,  and  expended  considerable  sums 
of  money  in  these  enterprises.  The  village  continued  pros¬ 
perous  and  flourishing  until  1819,  Dr.  Baldwin  being  the 
main-spring  of  all  its  principal  movements.  The  diversion  of 
the  business  usually  done  On  the  Seneca  River  to  the  Erie 
Canal,  seemed  for  a  time  to  paralyze  every  interest,  and  the 
village  continued  to  decline,  until  the  growth  of  the  surround¬ 
ing  country  rendered  its  water-power  more  valuable ;  when 
new  energies  and  new  investments  of  capital,  awakened  new- 
improvements ;  since  which  time,  it  has  been  steadily,  if  not 


T  O  W  N  S  . — Ii  YSANDER. 


167 


rapidly  advancing,  and  is  now  the  most  populous  and  flourish¬ 
ing  village  in  the  county.  In  1819-20,  such  portions  of  the 
village  as  had  not  previously  been  sold,  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Messrs.  Stephen  W.  and  Harvey  Baldwin,  the  two  eldest 
sons  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  by  whom  it  is  still  held.  These  enter¬ 
prising  gentlemen  made  many  improvements  about  the  village, 
by  rebuilding  the  toll  bridge,  enlarging  the  canal  and  locks, 
and  rebuilding  the  dam.  They  also  made  extensive  purcha¬ 
ses  on  the  Van  Buren  side  of  the  river,  laid  out  village  lots, 
erected  mills,  and  constructed  a  canal  on  that  side  of  the  river, 
and  thus  identified  both  sides  in  one  common  interest.  Since 
1807,  saw  mills  have  been  erected  almost  without  number. 
In  1808,  Dr.  Baldwin  erected  one  with  six  saws  and  carriages. 
In  1824,  Messrs.  Start  and  Mott  erected  a  mill  with  two  saws 
and  carriages.  In  1826,  Mr.  James  Johnson  built  a  new  mill 
with  four  saws  and  carriages,  and  Messrs.  Stephen  W.  and 
H.  Baldwin,  a  mill  with  a  gang  of  fifteen  saws.  Start  and 
Mott’s  mill  burned  down  in  1834,  and  was  re-built  in  1847 
by  Richard  M.  Beach.  In  1839,  Thomas  P.  Campbell  erected 
a  mill  with  two  saws  and  carriages.  In  1848,  Howard  &  Cook 
erected  a  mill  with  two  saws  and  carriages.  All  these  mills  are 
furnished  with  buzz  saws  for  cutting  slabs  into  lath,  and  for 
other  slitting  purposes.  Several  grist  mills  have  been  built  from 
time  to  time,  but  the  best  one  was  erected  by  Sandford  C. 
Parker,  in  1836-7.  It  is  one  hundred  feet  long  by  sixty  feet 
broad,  four  stories  high  besides  the  basement ;  is  calculated 
for  ten  run  of  stones,  has  six  run  in  operation,  and  is  capa¬ 
ble  of  manufacturing  two  hundred  barrels  of  flour,  daily,  be¬ 
sides  custom  grinding.  There  is  an  extensive  woolen  factory, 
called  Kellogg’s  Woolen  Factory,  two  tanneries,  a  set  of 
planing  machines  and  sash  factory,  two  furnaces,  two  plaster 
mills,  four  carriage  making  shops,  seven  blacksmith  shops,  &c. 

There  are  at  present,  (1849)  over  two  thousand  inhabitants 
in  the  village  of  Baldwinsville,  seven  stores,  four  taverns,  seven 
lawyers,  seven  physicians,  three  clergymen,  three  meeting¬ 
houses  for  the  Presbyterian,  Baptist  and  Methodist  societies. 

A  few  years  since,  an  attempt  was  made  to  effect  a  change 


168 


ONONDAGA. 


in  the  name  of  tlie  village  ;  but  the  older  inhabitants  and 
early  settlers  who  had  been  eye  witnesses  to  the  trials  and 
hardships  encountered  and  endured  by  Dr.  Baldwin  and  his 
family,  with  a  just  appreciation  of  Iris  services  with  a  kind  and 
grateful  remembrance  for  his  memory,  with  singular  unanimity 
remonstrated  against  the  measure,  and  defeated  it. 

The  village  was  incorporated  with  the  name  of  Baldwins- 
ville,  in  1848,  under  the  provisions  of  the  general  law  for  vil¬ 
lage  incorporations.  There  is  not  within  our  knowledge  a  lo¬ 
cality,  which  in  its  early  settlement,  was  attended  with  so 
many  difficulties  as  this  ;  and  perhaps  there  is  no  village  with¬ 
in  our  borders,  where  the  improvements  made  by  its  first 
founder,  have  resulted  in  greater  benefits  to  the  surrounding 
country.  A  towing  path  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Seneca 
River,  extending  from  Mud  Lock  to  Baldwinsville,  connects 
it  with  the  Oswego  Canal,  and  the  rail  road  from  Syracuse  to 
Oswego  passing  through  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  village, 
is  just  completed.  Having  command  of  the  whole  volume  of 
the  waters  of  the  Seneca  River  with  a  fall  of  ten  feet,  it  fur¬ 
nishes  one  of  the  best  sites  for  hydraulic  works  in  this  section 
of  the  country,  and  being  surrounded  by  a  country  of  great 
fertility  and  beauty,  it  must  ever  be  a  place  of  great  and  in¬ 
creasing  importance. 

Betts’  Corners  is  a  thriving  little  village  in  this  town,  with 
two  churches,  a  tavern,  one  store,  about  forty  dwellings,  and 
the  Lysander  Post  Office. 

The  town  of  Lysander  was  not  fully  organized  until  1798, 
ffhen  the  Supervisor,  Mr.  Asa  Rice,  who  lived  near  Oswego,  re¬ 
ported  for  the  town,  including  the  townships  of  Lysander,  Han¬ 
nibal  and  Cicero,  the  number  of  “  fifteen'  inhabitants,  and  the 
valuation  of  taxable  property  for  the  town  was  estimated  at 
fifteen  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  Rice  was  supervisor  till  Hanni¬ 
bal  was  erected  a  town  by  itself.  The  old  records  of  the  town 
are  not  to  be  found.  The  records  now  in  the  Clerk’s  office, 
go  no  further  back  than  1808 ;  at  which  time  we  find  some 
of  the  principal  town  officers  as  follows,  viz.  :  Elijah  Snow, 
Supervisor,  and  James  Adams,  Town  Clerk;  Henry  Emerick, 


TOWNS . — L  YSANDER. 


169 


William  Wilson,  James  Clark,  Assessors.  In  1809,  Elijah 
Snow,  Supervisor  ;  and  Cyrus  Baldwin,  Town  Clerk.  1811, 

Elijah  Snow,  Supervisor; - Williams,  Town  Clerk.  1812, 

the  same.  1816,  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  Supervisor  ;  -  Wil¬ 

liams,  Town  Clerk. 

Dr.  Baldwin  opened  a  store  at  Baldwinsville,  in  1807,  and 
continued  to  1813.  Judge  Otis  Bigelow  commenced  selling 
goods  in  the  village  of  Baldwinsville,  in  1813,  and  still  con¬ 
tinues  ;  he  is  now  the  oldest  merchant  in  the  county.  John 
Hammill  opened  a  store  in  1816.  Baker  &  Wallace,  in  1816 ; 
Jonas  C.  Brewster,  1821 ;  Luther  Badger,  1823 ;  Robins  & 
Wells,  1832  :  Sandford  C.  Parker,  1835 ;  John  H.  Tomlin¬ 
son  &  Co.,  1838 ;  and  D.  C.  Lusk  &  Co.,  1846. 

Reuben  S.  Orvis,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  here  first, 
in  1816  ;  Samuel  H.  Hammond,  in  1826  ;  afterwards,  Cor¬ 
nelius  Pugsley,  and  others.  Dr.  Jonas  C.  Baldwin,  on  his  first 
arrival  at  Baldwinsville,  practiced  medicine  when  necessary,  till 
other  physicians  arrived.  Dr.  Cyrus  Baldwin,  established  as 
a  regular  physician  in  1814;  Dr.  Silas  Wallace  in  1816. 

Post  Office  first  established  at  Baldwinsville,  in  1815 ;  Jo¬ 
nas  C.  Baldwin,  P.  M.  He  was  succeeded  by  Stephen  W. 
Baldwin,  Otis  Bigelow,  Austin  Baldwin,  and  Daniel  T.  Jones. 

The  first  Presbyterian  society  at  Baldwinsville,  was  organ¬ 
ized  in  1813,  and  an  Episcopal  society,  styled  Grace  Church, 
in  1838.  There  is  a  Methodist  church  at  Cold  Spring,  a 
Dutch  Reformed  at  Plainville. 

Some  of  the  ministers  at  Baldwinsville,  have  been  Rev.  Mr. 
Davenport,  in  1814,  died  1821  ;  Rev.  Messrs.  Wait,  Moulton, 
Baldwin,  Morrell,  R.  Salmon,  G.  B.  Engle,  Willett,  Beach, 
Williams,  Merwin,  Brown,  Wheeler,  Walker,  and  others. 

The  first  newspaper  established  at  Baldwinsville,  was  pub¬ 
lished  in  the  spring  of  1844,  by  Samuel  B.  West,  and  entitled 
the  “  Baldwinsville  Republican.”  In  October,  1846,  it 
was  transferred  to  C.  Marks  Ilosmer,  and  entitled  the  “  On¬ 
ondaga  Gazette.”  Since  the  26th  of  January,  1848,  it  has 
been  conducted  by  Shepard  &  Ilosmer. 

The  Seneca  River  is  notable  for  its  fish.  Cat-fish  are  caught 


170 


ONONDAGA. 


from  ten  to  thirty-five  pounds  weight,  each,  and  eels  from  one 
to  six  pounds,  each  ;  salmon  were  in  former  years  abundant, 
hut  since  the  erection  of  dams  across  the  Oswego  Ri \  this 
noble  fish  has  entirely  disappeared  from  the  Seneca.  Smal¬ 
ler  fish  are  numerous  and  various  in  kind. 

The  year  1816,  is  memorable  throughout  the  country,  as 
“  the  cold  year .”  It  is  said  that  frosts  occurred  during 
every  month.  Crops  were  much  injured  and  the  Indian  corn 
quite  destroyed.  That  crop  being  the  principal  reliance  of 
the  Indian  tribes  in  this  vicinity,  and  with  no  provisions  for 
the  then  approaching  winter,  they  were  in  danger  of  being 
cut  oil'  by  famine.  Under  these  circumstances,  a  deputation 
of  chiefs,  from  the  Oneida  nation,  were  sent  to  Dr.  Baldwin, 
(they  knowing  him  to  be  a  man  of  wealth  and  benevolence,) 
to  request  him  to  furnish  them  with  provisions  for  the  winter. 
After  some  inquiries  as  to  their  necessities  and  number,  Dr. 
B.  agreed  to  furnish  provisions  for  one-half  of  the  nation. 
Early  in  the  winter,  therefore,  they  came  on,  about  250  in 
number,  and  encamped  in  a  wood  in  the  vicinity  of  the  vil¬ 
lage,  and  near  wherjs  the  railroad  now  crosses  the  road  lead¬ 
ing  to  the  new  bridge,  and  remained  there  until  the  next 
spring,  drawing  their  rations  daily,  like  a  small  army. 

This  well  timed  benevolence  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  saved  these 
destitute  people  from  starvation  ;  Avhile  the  remainder  of  the 
nation  were  fed  and  carried  through  the  winter  by  the  charity 
of  other  individuals. 

During  the  winter,  Harvey  Baldwin,  (late  mayor  of  Syra¬ 
cuse,)  second  son  of  Dr.  B.,  being  on  a  visit  home,  permission 
was  asked  by  the  chiefs  to  adopt  him  as  their  son,  which  re¬ 
quest  being  granted,  they  assembled  in  grand  council,  and  af¬ 
ter  great  ceremony,  such  as  is  customary  with  Indians  on  oc¬ 
casions  of  this  kind,  gave  him  the  name  of  “  Cohongoronto,” 
by  which  name  he  is  still  known  among  the  Oneidas,  and 
which  interpreted,  signified  a  boat  having  a  sharp  prow,  con¬ 
structed  for  the  navigation  of  rapid  waters,  and  which  was 
intended  as  emblamatical  of  the  profession  of  law,  in  the 
study  of  which  he  was  then  engaged. 


TOWNS.— CICERO. 


171 


At  Cold  Spring,  three  miles  east  of  Baldwinsville,  are  the 
remains  of  an  old  fort,  circular  in  form,  and  enclosing  at 
least,  three  acres  of  ground,  with  a  gate  way.  When  first 
discovered  by  the  whites,  it  had  a  ditch  about  it,  four  feet 
deep,  and  an  embankment  outside  and  inside  the  ditch,  the 
outside  one  being  a  little  the  highest.  Trees  of  large  size 
were  found  growing  on  the  embankment,  and  also  in  the  ditch. 

At  the  time  Dr.  Baldwin  constructed  his  canal,  before  re¬ 
ferred  to,  many  Indian  relics,  such  as  hatchets  of  stone,  flint 
arrow-heads,  pipes,  &c.,  were  found  several  feet  below  the 
surface,  thus  showing  that  this  locality  had  at  a  remote  period, 
been  a  favorite  resort  of  the  red  man  of  the  forest. 

Statistics  for  the  town  of  Lysander,  taken  from  the  census 
of  1845 :  Number  of  inhabitants,  4506.  392  subject  to 

military  duty,  1027  voters,  66  aliens,  3  paupers,  1186  chil¬ 
dren  attending  common  schools,  23508  acres  of  improved 
land,  2  grist-mills,  13  saw-mills,  1  fulling-mill,  1  carding-ma- 
chine,  1  woolen-factory,  5  tanneries,  1  Baptist  church,  2  Pres- 
byterian  do.,  4  Methodist  do.,  1  Dutch  Reformed  do.,  1  Uni¬ 
tarian  do.,  21  common  schools,  2  select  do.,  13  taverns,  7 
stores,  4  groceries,  480  farmers,  11  merchants,  12  manufac¬ 
turers,  198  mechanics,  10  clergymen,  9  Physicians,  and  3  at¬ 
torneys. 

Cicero. — This  was  one  of  the  original  townships,  (number 
6,)  of  the  Military  Tract.  At  the  organization  of  the  coun¬ 
ty,  it  was  included  in  the  town  of  Lysander.  The  township 
was  set  off  into  a  towTn  by  itself,  in  1807.  It  now  contains 
about  fifty-one  lots  of  the  original  township,  or  about  three 
hundred  and  twenty-six  thousand  acres  of  land. 

A  Mr.  Dexter,  a  blacksmith,  was  the  first  white  person  vTho 
settled  in  this  town,  in  1790,  opposite  to  Fort  Brewerton, 
where  he  lived  several  years.  Mr.  Oliver  Stevens  settled 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  in  1789,  and  cultivated  a  gar¬ 
den  in  the  town  of  Cicero.  A  few  years  after,  he  moved  to 
the  south  side  of  the  river,  where  he  died  in  1813.  Ryal 
Bingham  settled  at  Fort  Brewerton,  1791,  and  subsequently 


172 


ONONDAGA. 


moved  to  Salina.  Mr.  Stevens  kept  what  was  called  a  Boat¬ 
man’s  tavern,  furnishing  provisions  and  other  necessaries,  to 
those  who  passed  that  way.  He  carried  on  quite  a  trade  with 
the  Indians,  in  furs,  peltry,  &c.,  which  at  that  early  day,  were 
abundantly  afforded  in  all  the  country.  Fort  Schuyler  was 
the  great  mart  at  that  time,  for  the  sale  of  furs,  &c.,  and 
there,  Mr.  Stevens  sold  and  exchanged  his  merchandize  for 
his  stock  in  trade.  Mr.  Stevens  sometimes  spent  his  winters 
at  Salina,  where  in  1802,  his  son,  J.  L.  Stevens,  late  Judge  of 
Onondaga  County  Courts,  was  born.  At  that  time  there  were 
no  wagon  roads  or  physician,  nearer  than  Dr.  Needham,  of 
Onondaga  Hollow.  All  the  first  settlements  in  this  town 
were  made  along  the  river  and  Oneida  Lake.  John  Leach 
settled  at  Cicero  Corners,  and  for  several  years  kept  a  tav¬ 
ern  in  a  small  log  cabin,  about  1802. 

The  first  settlers  suffered  very  much  from  fever  and  ague, 
and  other  diseases  common  to  new  countries,  and  sometimes 
they  were  not  a  little  distressed  for  want  of  food.  Elijah 
Loomis,  was  the  first  settler  at  South  Bay,  on  the  lake  shore, 
in  1804.  He  and  his  wife  now  (1847)  reside  on  the  lot  he 
first  purchased.  They  have  lived  together  sixty-four  years. 
He  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  received  a  pension.  Mar¬ 
tin  Woodruff  settled  near  him  the  same  year.  Their  near¬ 
est  neighbors  were  at  Brewerton,  five  miles  distant. 

In  1791,  John  Thayer,  an  old  acquaintance  of  Oliver  Ste¬ 
vens,  came  to  Salina,  and  hearing  that  his  friend  had  located 
at  Fort  Brewerton,  (twelve  miles  distant,)  he  determined  to 
make  him  a  visit.  It  being  winter,  the  undertaking  was  some¬ 
what  hazardous,  but  possessing  a  resolute  mind  and  hardy  con¬ 
stitution,  he  thought  he  could  overcome  all  obstacles.  He 
was  directed  to  follow  the  Indian  trail  and  blazed  trees,  but 
during  his  journey,  he  became  bewildered,  lost  his  way,  and 
roamed  about  the  woods  three  days  and  two  nights,  without 
shelter  or  food.  He  at  last  struck  the  Oneida  River,  several 
miles  west  of  Stevens,  and  in  attempting  to  cross  the  ice, 
broke  through,  got  his  legs  and  feet  wet,  and  before  he  arrived 
at  his  place  of  destination,  his  feet  were  badly  frozen.  He 


TOWNS.  — CICERO. 


173 


suffered  severely  for  several  weeks,  when  his  feet  began  to 
mortify.  He  was  then  conveyed  to  Dr.  White,  of  Cherry 
Valley,  on  a  sled  by  hand,  where  both  limbs  were  amputated 
above  the  ankle.  He  is  now  (1847,)  living  at  Palermo,  Oswe¬ 
go  County,  hobbling  about  on  his  stumps,  has  some  property, 
and  enjoys  very  good  health  for  one  so  advanced  in  years, 
comparatively  cheerful  and  happy. 

About  the  year  1811,  sometime  after  the  first  settlement  at 
South  Bay,  two  small  girls  of  the  name  of  Shephard,  went 
into  the  woods  to  look  for  the  cows  near  night ;  after  searching 
sometime  in  vain,  they  found  themselves  unable  to  trace  their 
way  back.  The  neighborhood  was  alarmed,  and  arrangements 
were  speedily  made  for  their  recovery.  The  woods  were 
scoured  for  twenty  miles  around,  the  most  vigilant  search  was 
made  day  and  night,  and  it  was  not  till  the  third  day  at  even¬ 
ing,  that  the  little  wanderers  were  found,  snugly  ensconsed, 
fast  asleep,  beside  an  old  log,  unharmed.  Their  only  food 
had  been  ground-nuts,  wintergreens,  &c.,  upon  which  they 
had  subsisted.  .Patrick  McGee,  settled  at  Brewerton,  in 
Cicero,  in  1791,  and  that  year  erected  the  first  frame  house 
in  this  tOAvn,  which  was  occupied  as  a  tavern  by  him,  and  af¬ 
terwards  by  Jonathan  Emmons.  It  was  located  near  where 
the  Brewerton  House  now  stands.  It  was  a  great  place  of 
resort  for  boatmen  and  townsmen. 

In  1813,  Jonathan  Emmons  was  authorized  by  Legislative 
enactment,  to  establish  a  ferry  across  the  outlet  of  Oneida 
Lake,  at  Fort  Brewerton,  town  of  Cicero,  with  exclusive  priv¬ 
ileges.  A  man,  known  familiarly  as  Tory  Foster,  first  settled 
in  the  east  part  of  the  town.  He  frequently  boasted  of  his 
cruelties  towards  his  countrymen,  during  the  Revolutionary 
war.  He  was  under  Sir  John  Johnson  and  Brant  at  the  Cher¬ 
ry  Valley  and  Wyoming  massacres,  and  in  their  numerous  in¬ 
cursions  into  the  Mohawk  country.  People  became  so  exas¬ 
perated  at  him,  at  a  late  period,  on  account  of  his  hostile 
relations  and  boastings,  that  he  had  frequently  to  flee  and  hide 
in  the  woods  for  several  days  at  a  time,  to  escape  the 
vengeance  of  his  neighbors.  He  one  day  went  into  the  black- 


i 


174 


ONONDAGA. 


smith  shop  of  the  late  Judge  Tousley,  at  Manlius,  and  com¬ 
menced  relating  his  cruelties  and  exploits  against  the  Ameri¬ 
cans  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  The  Judge,  then  at  the  anvil, 
sledge  in  hand,  listened  patiently  for  some  time  ;  at  length  his 
patience  became  exhausted,  he  seized  a  heavy  bar  of  iron  and 
struck  at  him  with  his  full  strength.  As  luck  .would  have  it, 
the  force  of  the  blow  was  arrested  by  the  iron  striking  a  beam 
overhead.  The  miscreant  instantly  left  the  shop,  not  caring 
to  continue  his  favorite  theme  in  the  presence  of  American 
patriots,  contented  to  escape  with  his  life.  His  ears  were  both 
cropped  off  before  he  came  to  this  town.  He  wore  his  hair 
long  to  prevent  the  exposition  of  his  disgrace. 

Formerly,  fish  were  abundant  and  easily  caught  in  the  river 
and  lake  ;  they  consisted  of  salmon,  pickerel,  pike,  perch, 
bass,  catfish  and  eels,  of  a  superior  quality,  all  of  which  are 
now  taken  in  great  abundance,  except  salmon,  which  since  the 
erection  of  dams  across  the  Oswego  River,  have  not  made  their 
appearance.  Fish  and  venison  constituted  a  great  proportion 
of  the  provisions  of  the  early  settlers. 

The  distance  of  the  first  settlers  to  their  nearest  neighbors 
was  twelve  miles,  (at  Salina,)  where  settlements  were  made  at 
an  earlier  period.  The  only  means  of  getting  there  was  on 
foot,  following  the  Indian  trail,  which  was  much  used  by  the 
natives,  in  passing  from  Onondaga  to  their  fishing  grounds,  a 
practice  which  they  continue  to  some  extent  up  to  the  present 
time.  What  in  1791  was  a  low  uninhabited  wilderness,  has 
since  become  a  thickly  settled  and  populous  town,  and  promi¬ 
ses  to  rival  the  best  towns  in  the  county,  in  richness  of  soil, 
variety  of  products,  and  wealth.  There  are  some  splendid  lo¬ 
cations  for  country  seats  along  the  river  and  lake  shore,  and 
ere  long  will  undoubtedly  be  eagerly  sought  for  by  the  elite, 
of  our  new-born  city,  for  their  country  residences. 

At  the  time  the  town  was  first  settled  it  was  overrun  with 
bears,  Avolves,  panthers  and  wild-cats.  Deer  were  numerous, 
and  the  taking  of  beaver,  foxes,  muskrats  and  otters,  formed 
a  chief  occupation  for  the  trappers,  who  made  of  it  a  lucra¬ 
tive  business.  Two  moose  were  killed  by  the  Indians,  near 


TOWNS.— CICERO. 


175 


the  north  line  of  the  town,  in  the  year  1789,  since  which  the 
animal  has  not  been  seen  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

After  the  farmers  began  to  raise  sheep  to  some  extent, 
wolves  were  very  troublesome,  often  making  serious  inroads 
into  the  flocks.  In  February,  1819,  in  order  to  exterminate 
these  vagrants,  it  was  resolved,  by  some  of  the  principal  in¬ 
habitants,  to  get  up  a  wolf  hunt,  and  scour  the  town  of  Cice¬ 
ro,  and  root  them  out.  Accordingly  arrangements  were  made, 
advertisements  were  published  in  all  the  county  papers,  hand¬ 
bills  were  circulated  throughout  the  county,  the  “  chasseur ” 
spirit  of  the  county  was  on  the  qui  vive.  Many  of  the  prin¬ 
cipal  men  at  Salina,  Manlius  and  Onondaga,  entered  into  it 
with  great  spirit  and  glee.  The  author,  then  a  mere  boy, 
joined  in  the  great  expedition.  On  the  day  appointed,  about 
sunrise,  a  line  of  men  near  ten  miles  long,  about  one  rod  apart, 
was  formed  across  the  town,  from  east  to  west.  At  the  ap¬ 
pointed  signal,  the  whole  line  moved  northward,  towards  the 
Oneida  Lake,  with  a  view  of  driving  the  wolves  out  upon  the 
ice  and  shooting  them  down  at  pleasure.  The  line  moved  on 
in  good  order,  amidst  the  blowing  of  horns,  the  hallooing  of 
boys,  and  cracking  of  rifles.  After  marching  upwards  of  six 
miles  to  the  lake,  the  hunters  found  they  had  only  driven  a 
few  frightened  deer  before  them,  some  of  which  were  killed. 
Some  hunters  had  preceded  the  line  for  the  purpose  of  killing 
deer  as  they  passed  them ;  not  a  wolf  or  bear  was  seen  during 
the  whole  route.  But  it  seems  to  have  had  a  good  effect,  for 
the  howl  of  a  wolf  has  not  been  heard  in  town  since. 

In  the  Cicero  swamp  there  are  said  to  be  a  few  swamp  rat¬ 
tle-snakes,  much  smaller  than  those  occupying  more  elevated 
situations.  They  seem  to  possess  the  same  characteristics, 
dispositions  and  poisonous  qualities  ;  they  are  nearly  black  in 
color,  have  a  dull  sleepy  look,  but  seldom  bite  unless  provok¬ 
ed  ;  they  usually  give  timely  notice  of  their  whereabouts  by 
shaking  their  rattles. 

The  intercourse  of  the  early ’settlers  of  this  town  with  the 
Indians,  was  frequent  and  of  the  most  friendly  character. 
They  were  usually  honest,  but  rather  slack  pay-masters  if 


176 


ONONDAGA. 


trusted.  It  was  once  quite  a  place  of  resort  for  the  Oneidas 
and  Onondagas,  on  account  of  hunting  and  fishing. 

The  first  meeting  house  in  town  was  built  of  logs  for  the 
Presbyterian  Society,  at  Cicero  Corners,  1819  ;  a  frame  one 
in  1830.  The  first  settled  minister  was  the  Rev.  Truman 
Baldwin,  a  Presbyterian,  who  occupied  the  station  several 
years,  afterwards  went  west,  has  recently  returned,  and  taken 
charge  of  his  former  flock.  The  next  organized  religious  so¬ 
ciety  was  a  Baptist  one,  in  1832,  at  the  same  place,  which 
continued  such,  a  few  years ;  but  a  majority  of  the  congrega¬ 
tion,  embracing  new  views,  called  themselves  Campbellites,  re¬ 
tained  possession  of  the  house,  and  in  effect  broke  up  the  so¬ 
ciety  ;  they  never  had  a  settled  minister,  but  held  their  meet¬ 
ings  regularly.  The  society  is  small,  and  their  increase  not 
very  rapid.  Afterwards,  the  Methodists  built  a  church  in  the 
east  part  of  the  town.  Except  the  first  named,  these  churches 
are  respectable  frame  buildings,  painted  and  finished  in  modern 
style.  Previous  to  the  erection  of  churches,  the  different  re¬ 
ligious  societies  held  their  meetings  in  the  school  houses  usu¬ 
ally  built  of  logs. 

The  first  school  was  kept  at  Brewerton,  in  1792 ;  the  num¬ 
ber  of  scholars  was  small.  It  was  taught  by  Deacon  George 
Ramsey,  a  Scotch  Presbyterian,  of  good  education  and  quali¬ 
fications  as  a  teacher  of  youth.  He  was  a  man  very  much  re¬ 
spected  and  beloved.  He  continued  his  labor  of  teaching  for 
a  number  of  years.  He  died  but  a  few  years  ago,  much  la¬ 
mented  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Isaac  Cody  was  the  first  merchant  in  Cicero.  He  erected 
a  store  at  Cicero  Corners  in  1818,  filled  it  with  goods,  and 
did  quite  an  extensive  business.  People  frequently  came  to 
trade  with  him  from  Salina  and  Onondaga.  Samuel  Warren 
opened  the  next  store  in  1825,  and  did  a  flourishing  business. 

Daniel  II.  Orcott  was  the  first  regular  physician  who  located 
in  this  town  in  1817,  had  an  extensive  practice.  Alexander 
Cook  settled  in  this  town  as  the  first  practising  attorney,  in 
1841.  Isaac  Codey  was  the  first  Post  Master,  appointed  in 
1820.  The  mail  was  then  carried  once  a  week  on  horseback. 


TOWNS.— CICERO. 


177 


Since  then  there  have  been  as  many  as  sixteen  mails  a  week. 
Now  there  are  but  six  a  week.  Rev.  John  Shepard  was  the 
first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1804. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Patrick 
McGee,  at  Three-River-Point,  1807.  Moses  Kinne  was 
Moderator,  and  Thomas  Pool  was  elected  Supervisor ;  Elijah 
Loomis,  Town  Clerk.  There  are  four  public  burying  grounds 
in  the  present  town  of  Cicero. 

There  are  no  antiquities  of  note  in  this  town,  though  fre¬ 
quently  along  the  shore  of  the  river  and  lake,  are  found  relics 
of  war,  such  as  arrow-heads  and  axes  of  stone,  and  occasion¬ 
ally  an  Indian’s  grave.  In  one  of  these  a  small  brass  kettle 
was  found,  in  which  was  a  bunch  of  grapes ;  at  first  appear¬ 
ance,  they  were  as  fresh  and  good  looking  as  if  just  gathered, 
but  upon  exposure  to  the  air,  soon  crumbled  to  dust.  Mr. 
Loomis,  before  named,  in  1804,  plowed  up  a  musket  of  the 
kind  usually  called  Queen’s  arms  ;  the  stock  of  which  was  al¬ 
most  entirely  rotted  away,  and  the  barrel  much  decayed  by 
rust. 

Frenchman’s  Island. — Eight  miles  up  the  lake,  and  in 
full  view  of  the  village,  is  a  small  and  beautiful  island  of  cir¬ 
cular  form,  containing  about  twenty-five  acres  of  land,  and  is 
still  covered  with  a  primitive  forest,  which  renders  the  scene 
beautiful  and  picturesque. 

There  is  an  incident  connected  with  this  island,  true  indeed, 
and  which  adds  greatly  to  its  interest.  About  the  year  1800, 
it  became  the  abode  of  a  Frenchman  and  his.  wife,  named  De- 
vitzy.  The  lady  was  one  of  the  noblest  and  wealthiest  in 
France ;  she  became  attached  to  a  French  gentleman,  far  be¬ 
low  her  rank,  and  for  this,  had  incurred  her  father’s  displea¬ 
sure,  who  refused  his  assent  to  their  alliance.  An  elopement 
and  marriage  were  the  consequence ;  and  being  pursued  by 
her  angry  parent,  they  fled  to  this  country,  and  still  fearing 
his  pursuit  and  vengeance,  they  left  the  city  of  New-York, 
where  they  at  first  landed,  and  resolved  to  bury  themselves, 
far  away  from  the  haunts  of  busy  men,  in  some  dreary  and 

is  12 


178 


ONONDAGA. 


uninhabited  forest.  Following  the  usual  channels  of  com¬ 
munication,  they  ascended  the  Mohawk  River,  and  thence 
along  the  Oneida  Lake  in  a  canoe,  until  they  arrived  at  this 
beautiful  island,  upon  which  they  encamped  for  the  night. 
So  pleased  were  they  with  the  solitude  which  everywhere  sur¬ 
rounded  them,  and  with  the  grandeur  of  the  scenery  that  here 
presented  itself,  they  at  once  resolved  to  make  it  the  place 
of  their  abode.  He  soon  erected  a  comfortable  hut ;  and  sub¬ 
sequently,  with  the  assistance  of  some  boatmen,  put  up  a  log 
house,  in  which  they  spent  seven  summers.  His  winters,  he 
usually  spent  in  Albany.  His  cabin  was  graced  with  books 
and  musical  instruments,  and  his  beautiful  garden  was  culti¬ 
vated  by  his  own  hands.  The  remains  of  this  house  and  some 
fruit  trees  of  his  planting,  are  still  to  be  seen. 

At  length,  the  day  of  their  deliverance  arrived — the  angry 
father  had  relented.  Unwilling  to  relinquish  his  only  daugh¬ 
ter,  he  had  continued  his  search ;  and  after  an  absence  of 
some  seven  years  from  her  friends,  he  sought  and  found,  and 
forgave  his  child  ;  and  taking  her,  her  husband  and  three  lit¬ 
tle  ones,  returned  with  them  rejoicing  to  his  home,  settled 
upon  them  his  immense  fortune,  and  shortly  afterwards  died. 
Those  children,  born  upon  that  island,  (which  has  ever  since 
been  known  as  “  Frenchman  s  Island”)  are  said  to  be  at  this 
day,  among  the  most  distinguished  personages  of  France. 
This  incident,  and  the  beauty  of  the  spot,  attracts  thither 
many  visitors,  who  not  only  gratify  their  curiosity,  but  enjoy 
a  delightful  sail,  and  usually  a  picknick,  upon  the  Island. 

Brewerton. — The  village  of  Brewerton,  situated  at  the 
outlet  of  Oneida  Lake,  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  river,  was 
laid  out  by  Orsamus  Johnson,  Daniel  Wardwell,  Miles  W. 
Bennet,  and  Harvey  Baldwin,  Esqrs.,  into  village  lots  in  1836  ; 
and  that  portion  which  remained  unsold,  is  now  owned  by 
Messrs.  Johnson,  Bennet  and  Baldwin.  Its  position  at  the 
foot  of  the  lake  is  remarkably  beautiful  and  healthy ;  and  be¬ 
ing  surrounded  by  a  fertile  and  thriving  country,  promises  to 
become  at  no  distant  day,  a  village  of  importance.  It  is  con- 


T  O  W  N  S  C I  C  E  11 0  . 


179 


nected  with  Syracuse  by  a  level  plank  road,  which  renders 
access  easy  to  either  place,  at  all  seasons.  Brewerton  is  a 
place  very  much  frequented  in  the  summer  months,  by  plea¬ 
sure  parties  from  the  city  of  Syracuse. 

Fort  Brewerton — the  ruins  of  which  are  in  the  town  of 
Hastings,  in  Oswego  County,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
from  the  village,  deserves  a  passing  notice. 

There  can  probably  at  this  late  day,  be  but  little  that  is 
new  gleaned,  with  which  to  give  a  full  and  authentic  history 
of  this  ancient  fortification ;  however,  as  this  place  was  of 
considerable  notoriety  at  the  time  it  was  first  occupied  by  the 
English,  we  give  a  drawing  as  it  now  appears,  and  the  follow¬ 
ing  history,  which  is  all  we  can  gather  respecting  it. 

Whether  the  French  ever  held  the  occupancy  of  this  place, 
is  a  matter  of  great  uncertainty.  It  is  possible,  however, 
that  the  Count  de  Frontenac,  at  the  time  he  obtained  permis¬ 
sion  of  the  Iroquois  to  build  forts  in  their  country,  one  might 
have  been  erected  here  ;  and  it  is  also  possible,  that  a  fort 
might  have  been  erected  here  at  an  earlier  period  by  traders, 
who  had  their  establishments  far  and  wide  through  the  coun¬ 
try.  But  this  matter  relating  to  French  occupancy,  is  in  en¬ 
tire  obscurity,  so  far  as  the  researches  of  the  author  of  this 
have  extended. 

During  the  old  French  War,  from  1755  to  1763,  there  was 
a  great  strife  between  the  English  and  French,  as  to  which 
nation  should  secure  to  themselves  the  great  thoroughfare 
from  Oswrego  to  the  Mohawk  valley.  The  French  had  in¬ 
gratiated  themselves  into  favor  with  the  savages,  and  had 
been  to  some  extent  successful  in  gaining  their  affections. 

In  1758,  General  Stanwix  had  erected  a  strong  fortress  at 
•what  is  now  called  Rome,  at  the  enormous  expense  of  two  hun¬ 
dred  and  sixty-six  thousand  foui;  hundred  dollars,  to  secure  the 
key  at  that  important  carrying  place,  and  also  a  stockade  en¬ 
closure,  as  a  defense  against  the  Indians  at  the  outlet  of 
Oneida  Lake.  After  the  reduction  of  Fort  Frontenac  by 
Col.  Bradstreet,  in  1758,  he  re-took  possession  of  the  forts  at 


180 


ONONDAGA. 


Oswego,  which  were  again  garrisoned.  It  was  at  this  period 
that  the  design  was  formed  by  General  Abercrombie,  of  erect¬ 
ing  a  substantial  fort,  to  command  the  entrance  to  Lake  Onei¬ 
da  from  the  west,  as  it  was  already  commanded  on  the  east, 
by  Fort  Stanwix.  A  detachment  was  sent  from  Oswego,  the 
following  year,  to  co-operate  with  one  from  Fort  Stanwix, 
and  an  earthen  fort  completed  on  the  plan  as  it  now  appears, 
and  named  Fort  Brewerton,  in  honor  of  Captain  Brewerton, 
whose  name  appears  in  the  papers  of  that  day,  as  an  officer  of 
merit,  and  who  was  active  on  the  frontier  at  Oswego,  Oneida 
Lake  and  Mohawk  Valley.  (See  N.  Y.  Mercury,  1755-56.) 

It  was  garrisoned  during  part  of  the  summer  of  1756,  by 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Bull,  and  was  made  a  depot  for  military 
stores,  several  years,  with  a  small  garrison,  till  the  close  of 
the  French  war  in  1762;  and  during  Pontiac’s  war,  it  was 
again  garrisoned  by  a  company  under  command  of  Captain 
Mungo  Campbell,  of  the  fifty-fifth  Highlanders,  was  a  place  of 
deposit  for  considerable  military  stores,  and  was  considered  a 
place  of  importance.  In  the  spring  of  1764,  we  find  Captain 
Thomas  Morris  stationed  there  for  a  short  time,  who,  during 
the  following  summer,  proceeded  to  Niagara  and  Detroit.  It 
was  also  a  favorite  resting  place  for  the  troops  passing  and 
re-passing  from  Fort  Stanwix  to  Oswego,  Niagara  and  back, 
and  is  often  mentioned  in  the  diary  of  Sir  William  Johnson, 
and  other  English  officers  of  that  period.  There  are  no  ac¬ 
counts  extant  of  battles  having  been  fought  at  this  place  ;  but 
from  appearances,  and  the  number  of  human  bones  found  in 
the  vicinity,  and  which  are  frequently  disinterred  even  at  this 
day,  it  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  severe  battles  ha,ve 
at  some  remote  period,  been  fought  by  Indians  on  this 
ground.  The  fort  when  built  by  the  English,  was  considered 
of  great  consequence  to  the  safety  and  protection  of  the  fron¬ 
tier. 

It  was  a  regular  octagon,  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
in  diameter,  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  earth  about  five  feet  high, 
above  the  interior  area  of  the  works.  In  front  of  this  wall, 
was  a  ditch  about  ten  feet  deep,  from  the  top  of  the  inside 


TOWNS.— CICERO 


181 


VIEW  OF  FORT  BREWERTON  AND  VICINITY— 184S. 


Explanations. — A — Fort.  X — Ditch.  O — Wells.  M — Covered  Gnte-wny. 
2 — Ditch  six  feet  deep.  0 — Bloch  House.  E — Plank  Road.  K — Rridfre.  C 
— Toll  House.  B — Brewerton  House  and  Sheds.  D—  Island  F — Ancient 
Mole  fir  Sentry-box.  L — Colfer-dam.  H — Sand-bank.  1 — Mound  filled  with 
Human  Bones. 


182 


ONONDAGA. 


wall,  encompassing  the  whole.  In  front  of  the  ditch,  encir¬ 
cling  the  whole,  was  another  embankment,  not  quite  as  high 
as  the  interior  one,  corresponding  to  it  in  all  its  lines  and  an¬ 
gles,  with  a  covered  gateway  on  the  south  side,  facing  the 
river.  In  the  interior  embankment  was  set  a  row  of  pali¬ 
sades,  about  twenty  feet  high,  with  loop  holes  and  embrasures. 
It  is  situated  on  a  gentle  elevation,  about  forty  rods  from  the 
river  ;  and  when  garrisoned  and  armed  for  wrar,  could  easily 
command  the  passage  of  the  river,  and  must  have  presented 
a  formidable  barrier. 

A  little  east  of  the  fort,  was  built  at  the  same  time  with 
the  fort,  a  mole  of  huge  rocks,  about  ten  rods  into  the  river, 
at  the  end  of  which  was  placed  a  sentry’s  box,  where  a  senti¬ 
nel  was  continually  posted,  to  watch  for  enemies  passing  up 
the  river.  From  the  extremity  of  this  mole,  the  river  could 
be  commanded  by  view  for  many  miles,  and  the  lake,  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach.  Time,  and  the  continual  dashing  of 
the  wTaves  have  destroyed  this  mole,  the  ruins  of  which  are 
still  to  be  seen  under  water.  Its  position  is  preserved  in 
the  drawing.  More  than  a  hundred  acres  of  the  land  around 
the  fort,  was  cleared  of  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  which  gave 
a  clear  prospect  of  the  shore  for  more  than  a  mile  in  extent. 

In  the  sand  bank  east  of  the  fort,  are  found  in  different 
places,  graves  of  men  of  extraordinary  stature  ;  some  of  the 
bones  which  have  been  disinterred,  must  have  belonged  to  men 
over  seven  feet  high.  The  mound  at  the  eastern  extremity 
of  the  bank,  is  full  of  human  bones,  and  must  have  been  the 
place  of  sepulchre  for  thousands.  Whether  these  were  slain 
in  battle,  or  whether  it  has  been  a  depository  for  the  dead  in 
time  of  peace,  it  is  not  easy  to  determine ;  but  from  the  fact 
that  they  are  the  bones  of  adult  persons,  and  apparently  all 
of  males,  it  is  highly  probable  they  are  the  relics  of  the  vic¬ 
tims  of  war. 

Mr.  Oliver  Stevens  was  induced  to  settle  at  Fort  Brewerton 
in  1789,  by  the  representations  of  two  brothers  who  had  been 
in  garrison  there,  in  1756-7-8.  They  represented  to  Oliver 
the  beauties  and  fertility  of  the  spot,  and  without  previous  ex- 


TOWNS.— CICERO. 


183 


semination,  solely  upon  their  statement,  he  came  on,  took  pos¬ 
session  and  opened  a  trader’s  store.  During  the  exciting  scenes 
of  1790-1,  2,  3,  4,  when  the  Indians  were  so  troublesome  on 
our  western  frontiers,  and  while  the  British  still  held  posses¬ 
sion  of  Oswego,  Mr  Stevens  was  commissioned  by  Gov.  Clin¬ 
ton,  to  erect  a  block  house  at  this  place,  a  portion  of  which 
is  still  standing  in  a  dilapidated  condition.  It  was  afterwards 
occupied  as  a  dwelling  till  1811.  Here  was  made  a  large  de¬ 
posit  of  ammunition  and  warlike  stores.  A  trench  was  dug 
about  it,  and  pickets,  twelve  feet  long,  erected,  of  heavy  logs, 
about  four  rods  from  the  house.  It  had  a  substantial  gate 
and  way,  on  the  side  towards  the  river.  After  the  restoration 
of  peace,  and  the  removal  of  the  British  garrison  from  Oswe¬ 
go,  the  stores  were  removed,  by  order  of  the  Governor,  to  Al¬ 
bany,  since  which  the  fort  and  block  house  have  gone  rapidly 
to  ruin.  Mr.  Stevens  has  found  about  the  fort  a  variety  of 
warlike  implements.  Upon  one  occasion,  inside  the  fort,  the 
hogs  rooted  up  a  keg  of  wrought  nails  ;  the  remains  of  chim- 
nies  and  blacksmith’s  forges  were  visible  when  he  came  on, 
and  a  curious  kind  of  small  red  hard  burned  brick,  with  which 
they  were  constructed,  were  found.  This  has  ever  been,  and 
still  is  a  place  of  considerable  interest.  Some  two  years  ago 
a  steamboat  was  started  to  run  on  the  Oneida  Lake.  The  Le¬ 
gislature  of  the  State  of  New-York  appropriated  a  sum  of 
money  to  improve  the  navigation  of  the  river,  built  a  coffer 
dam  at  Brewerton  to  deepen  the  channel  and  subdue  the  rift. 
A  commodious  lock  was  built,  four  miles  below  Brewerton,  and 
another  at  Oak  Orchard,  nine  miles  below,  to  favor  the  navi¬ 
gation  to  Oswego.  An  appropriation  of  twenty  thousand  dol¬ 
lars  was  made  last  year,  (1847,)  for  the  improvement  of  the 
navigation  of  Oneida  River,  and  is  soon  to  be  expended. 

The  new  bridge  erected  last  season  cost  over  two  thousand 
dollars,  and  is  an  excellent  structure.  The  plank  road  from 
Salina  to  Central  Square,  crosses  the  river  at  this  point,  and 
has  done  more  for  the  improvement  of  this  country  than  all 
things  else  put  together. 

Like  many  other  of  the  pioneers  of  this  country,  Mr.  Ste- 


184 


ONONDAGA. 


vens  endured  many  privations,  and  was  a  participant  in  many 
startling  incidents  and  adventures.  On  one  occasion,  in  the 
month  of  March,  1792,  he  resolved  to  attend  the  town  meet¬ 
ing  of  the  town  of  Mexico,  held  that  year  at  what  is  now  Pu¬ 
laski.  He  started  off  early  in  the  morning,  with  his  gun  in 
hand,  and  a  knapsack  of  provisions  on  his  back.  There  was 
no  road  nor  scarcely  a  path  ;  he  relied  mainly  on  his  skill  as 
a  woodsman,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  wanderings  of  the  sun 
to  guide  him  safely  through  his  journey.  He  traveled  on, 
unconscious  of  harm,  till  near  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
when  he  found  himself  in  the  vicinity  of  a  pack  of  hungry 
wolves.  By  their  howling,  he  was  aroused  not  onl}r  to  a  sense 
of  his  danger,  but  to  the  fact  that  he  had  lost  his  way,  and 
that  he  had  no  means  of  recovering  it.  He  set  forward  with 
vigor,  in  hope  of  coming  out  at  a  “  clearing"  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  place  of  his  destination,  but  all  to  no  purpose  ;  the  more 
he  exerted  himself,  the  more  he  became  convinced  of  the  peril 
of  his  situation.  The  wolves  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
seemed  by  their  boldness,  to  be  meditating  an  attack.  At 
length,  one  bolder  than  his  companions,  a  large  black  one,  ad¬ 
vanced  to  within  a  few  paces  of  him,  upon  which  he  fired  and 
killed  him  dead.  The  scent  of  the  blood  of  the  dead  Avolf, 
seemed  to  increase  the  voracity  of  the  survivors,  and  for  a 
time  he  thought  he  should  in  turn  be  slain.  Nothing  daunted, 
he  stood  at  bay  looking  them  firmly  in  the  eye,  and  after 
awhile,  they  retired  a  respectful  distance,  sitting  around  on 
their  haunches,  as  if  holding  a  council  of  war.  During  this 
cessation  of  hostilities,  Mr.  Stevens  struck  a  fire  and  kindled 
it,  reloaded  his  gun,  and  sallied  forth,  dragging  the  dead  wolf 
by  the  heels  to  his  fiery  fortress.  At  this  stage  of  the  war, 
it  seemed  as  if  the  fury  of  the  wolves  was  ungovernable  ;  they 
came  very  nea.r,  growling  and  snapping  their  teeth,  in  the 
greatest  anger.  He  cast  burning  brands  among  them,  and 
finally  they  dispersed.  Upon  this,  he  added  more  fuel  to  the 
fire,  got  up  a  bright  light,  and  began  to  feel  somewhat  secure. 
His  next  business  was  to  secure  the  skin  of  his  fallen  foe, 
which  was  soon  effected.  By  this  time  it  became  quite  dark. 


TO  W  NS.— CICERO. 


185 


A  quantity  of  fuel  was  gathered.  Here  the  solitary  wanderer 
stood  all  night,  not  daring  to  refresh  himself  with  sleep,  amid 
the  din  and  bowlings  of  the  hungry  wolves.  Towards  morn¬ 
ing  he  was  relieved  from  his  anxiety  by  the  retreat  of  the 
wolves,  who  left,  and  disturbed  him  no  more.  He  now  pre¬ 
pared  a  hasty  meal  at  the  fire,  partook  of  it,  and  concluded 
to  retrace  his  steps.  Packing  up  his  wolf  skin,  he  pro¬ 
ceeded  homeward.  The  sun  rose  to  meridian,  and  still  he 
traveled  on ;  night  came,  and  for  ought  he  could  tell,  he  was 
no  nearer  home  than  when  he  started  in  the  morning.  Being 
weary  with  his  day’s  journey,  he  again  kindled  a  fire,  laid 
himself  down  to  rest,  and  slept  soundly  till  morning.  At  early 
dawn  he  again  set  forward  in  quest  of  home,  and  about  ten 
o’clock  in  the  morning,  to  his  indescribable  joy,  discovered  the 
British  flag  flying  from  the  fort  at  Oswego.  The  officers  of 
the  garrison,  to  whom  he  related  his  adventure,  treated  him 
with  great  kindness.  With  them  he  spent  the  remainder  of 
the  day,  and  next  morning  set  out  with  a  light  heart  for  home. 
The  day  following,  being  the  fifth  from  his  departure,  he  ar¬ 
rived  safely  to  the  bosom  of  his  family,  who  had  already  be¬ 
come  somewhat  alarmed  for  his  safety.  The  bounty  then  paid 
■by  the  State  for  a  full  grown  wolf,  was  forty  dollars,  which 
he  in  due  time  received.  This  in  some  degree  proved  a  balm 
for  his  sufferings ;  but  for  which,  he  would  not  again  encoun¬ 
ter  the  danger  he  had  so  greatly  risked. 

The  following  year,  while  at  dinner  with  his  family,  a  man 
came  running  to  the  door,  almost  breathless  and  dripping  with 
water,  stammering  out  with  a  tremulous  voice,  that  he  and 
his  companion  had  been  attacked  by  a  bear  in  the  river,  and 
driven  from  their  boat;  he  feared  the  bear  would  kill  his 
friend,  and  wished  Mr.  Stevens  to  go  instantly  with  his  gun 
and  kill  him.  He  started  at  once,  re-primed  his  gun,  and 
hastened  with  all  possible  dispatch  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster. 

When  arrived,  they  found  the  remaining  man  on  shore  wet 
through  and  through,  moaning  in  the  bitterest  anguish  the 
hardness  of  his  lot.  The  fact  was,  as  the  two  were  proceeding 
up  the  river,  the  bear  at  the  same  time  attempted  to  swim 


186 


ONONDAGA. 


across ;  upon  seeing  the  bear,  the  boatmen  resolved  to  have 
some  sport  and  capture  him.  They  rowed  along  side  and 
aimed  a  blow  at  Bruin’s  head,  who  evaded  it,  and  before  they 
could  recover  themselves,  scrambled  over  the  side  of  the  boat 
and  drove  the  astonished  Frenchmen  into  the  river.  They 
were  forced  to  make  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and  one  ran  for 
help,  while  the  other  watched  the  boat  and  its  new  occupant. 
On  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Stevens  at  the  scene  of  action,  his  bear- 
ship  was  majestically  seated  at  the  stern,  calmly  surveying  the 
scene,  quietly  floating  down  the  current,  as  undisturbed  as  a 
king  upon  his  throne.  A  shot  from  Mr.  Stevens’  rifle,  bereft 
the  monarch  of  his  titles  and  his  life  at  once.  The  boatmen 
swam  to  the  boat  and  rowed  up  to  the  landing.  When  the 
prize  was  dressed,  it  was  found  to  exceed  three  hundred 
pounds  in  weight.  This  seasonable  trophy  was  placed  to  good 
account,  for  it  served  as  pork  for  the  family  and  the  hungry 
boatmen  who  passed  that  route,  for  many  a  day. 

About  five  miles  north  of  Salina,  in  the  town  of  Cicero, 
near  the  old  State  road,  was  a  place  where,  at  some  early  pe¬ 
riod,  either  during  the  old  French  war,  or  during  the  war  of 
the  Revolution,  a  prisoner  fell  a  victim  to  savage  cruelty. 
The  tradition  of  the  affair  is  like  this :  a  party  of  Indians, 
in  some  of  their  incursions  to  the  then  western  settlements 
of  New-York,  probably  Schenectady,  or  perhaps  Wyoming 
or  Cherry  Valley,  returned  through  this  region,  and  brought 
with  them  prisoners,  and  at  this  point  resolved  on  having 
an  auto  da  fe.  One  poor  fellow  bound  hand  and  foot,  was 
compelled  to  run  the  gauntlet,  with  the  promise,  if  success¬ 
ful,  of  being  restored  to  liberty.  Two  parallel  lines  were 
arranged,  and  the  prisoner  started  to  run,  as  best  he  could,  be¬ 
tween  them.  He  made  several  surprising  leaps,  bound  as  he 
was,  and  finally  succeeded  in  passing  amid  sundry  blows,  be¬ 
yond  the  lines,  to  the  goal  of  promised  safety.  At  this  mo¬ 
ment  a  young  warrior  drew  up  his  rifle  and  shot  him  dead ; 
who,  for  his  treachery,  was  instantly  pierced  by  more  than 
twenty  balls  from  the  rifles  of  his  companions.  For  several 
years,  the  Indians  returned  to  this  spot,  renewed  the  tracks 


TOW  NS  —CICERO. 


187 


made  in  the  sand  by  the  murdered  prisoner,  held  a  war  dance, 
and  returned  to  their  homes.  This  practice  was  continued 
long  after  the  white  people  settled  in  the  neighborhood.  The 
last  time  they  visited  the  spot,  they  got  into  a  quarrel  among 
themselves,  and  it  is  said,  two  of  the  party  were  killed  and 
several  badly  wounded. 

The  first  mills  erected  in  the  vicinity,  were  at  Rotterdam, 
by  Mr.  Scriba,  from  Holland,  on  the  north  side  of  the  lake, 
in  1800.  The  grist  mill  was  sufficient  to  grind  all  the  grain 
in  the  country  for  a  hundred  miles  around.  Then,  however, 
there  was  but  little  grinding  to  be  done.  Previous  to  this, 
those  who  could  muster  a  grist  of  two  or  three  bushels,  which 
was  then  called  a  very  large  one,  would  put  it  on  board  a  boat 
bound  for  the  Ray  of  Quintd,  in  Canada,  and  after  three  or 
four  weeks  it  would  be  returned.  Others  preferred  pounding 
their  corn  in  stump  mortars,  thereby  saving  toll  and  risk  of 
loss. 

At  first  there  were  no  roads  for  many  years.  The  people 
used  to  follow  the  Indian  trails,  and  marked  trees,  on  foot. 
Roads  were  first  made  from  house  to  house,  and  place  to  place, 
and  through  this  town  were  till  recently  proverbially  bad,  be¬ 
ing  cut  through  low  and  swampy  ground,  without  even  cause¬ 
ways  or  bridges.  In  1812,  the  Legislature  passed  an  act  to 
cut  a  road  from  Salina  to  Brewerton,  through  the  center  of 
the  township.  The  expense  was  advanced  by  the  State,  but 
a  tax  was  laid  on  the  lands  contiguous,  to  defray  it.  The  in¬ 
habitants  got  a  poor  road  for  what  a  good  one  should  have 
cost.  In  1825,  an  act  was  passed  authorizing  the  building  of 
a  turnpike  road  from  Salina  north,  through  the  town  of  Cice¬ 
ro,  but  the  inhabitants,  rather  doubting  the  profitableness  of 
an  investment,  the  stock  was  not  taken,  and  the  scheme  fail¬ 
ed.  In  1830,  an  act  was  passed  providing  for  the  construc¬ 
tion  of  a  timber  or  hard  surface  road.  This  failed  also.  In 
1845,  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature,  authorizing  a 
company  to  make  a  plank,  timber  or  hard  surface  road,  from 
Salina  to  Central  Square,  through  Cicero,  from  south  to  north. 
In  1846,  a  plank  road  was  completed,  being  the  first  of  the 


188 


ONONDAGA. 


kind  constructed  in  the  United  States.  The  expense  of  build¬ 
ing,  grading  and  materials,  was  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars 
per  mile.  The  situation  of  the  country  and  soil,  was  such, 
that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  make  a  permanent  road  of 
any  other  material.  There  is,  perhaps,  no  country  road  in 
the  State  over  which  passes  a  greater  amount  of  travel. 

There  are  no  streams  of  water  in  this  town,  of  any  note, 
except  the  Chittenango  Creek,  lying  all  along  its  eastern  boun¬ 
dary.  Isolated  specimens  of  iron  ore  have  been  found  in  this 
town,  but  none  of  consequence.  There  are  some  tolerable 
limestone  quarries,  suitable  for  building  and  lime. 

Salt  springs  or  deer-licks,  have  been  noticed  in  different 
parts  of  the  town,  none  of  which  have  been  worked.  There  is 
here  found,  almost  every  variety  of  soil,  the  surface  of  which 
is  unusually  level.  All  kinds  of  grain  are  easily  raised.  Ma¬ 
ple  sugar,  in  former  years,  Avas  manufactured  in  large  quanti¬ 
ties,  but  since  the  clearing  up  of  the  forests,  it  has  been  dis¬ 
continued.  This  town  and  Clay  furnish  a  large  proportion  of 
the  barrels  used  in  packing  salt  at  Liverpool,  Geddes  and 
Syracuse.  Wild  fowl  are  abundant  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lake 
and  river,  which,  with  the  excellent  fishing  grounds,  make  it 
a  favorite  resort  for  sportsmen. 

Previous  to  the  construction  of  the  Erie  Canal,  boats  and 
bateaux  were  constantly  passing  from  the  east,  freighted  with 
goods  obtained  at  Albany  and  Schenectady,  for  the  western 
and  Canada  trade  ;  but  since  the  completion  of  that  great  work, 
the  business  of  boating  through  the  Oneida  Lake  and  River, 
has  almost  entirely  been  discontinued.  During  the  first  years 
of  settlement,  ague  and  fever  and  billious  fever  were  preva¬ 
lent,  and  the  country  was  considered  unhealthy ;  but  since 
clearings  have  become  extensive,  there  have  been  but  occasional 
cases;  and  now,  the  town  of  Cicero  may  be  considered  quite 
as  healthy  as  any  town  in  the  county.  In  the  north-west  ex¬ 
tremity  of  the  town  (now  Clay)  on  a  beautiful  peninsula,  formed 
by  the  junction  of  the  Oneida  and  Seneca  Rivers,  is  a  lot  of 
five  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  excellent  land,  the  income  of 
which  is  appropriated  to  the  support  of  common  schools. 


TO  WNS.— CICERO. 


189 


When  Clay  was  set  oft’  from  Cicero  in  1827,  two  hundred  and 
seventy- five  acres  of  this  lot  were  retained  for  the  town  of 
Cicero,  the  income  of  which  is  about  one  hundred  and  forty 
dollars  per  year.  Towards  the  south  part  of  this  town,  is  an 
extensive  swamp,  containing  about  four  thousand  acres,  with 
but  little  timber.  The  surface  is  covered  with  very  thick 
moss,  capable  of  bearing  a  man,  who  finds  no  difficulty  in 
walking  over  it  when  it  is  not  covered  with  water.  Wild  cran¬ 
berries  are  abundant  here.  A  sharp  pole  can  be  thrust 
through  the  surface,  to  the  depth  of  seven  or  eight  feet,  the 
whole  being  composed  of  black  decayed  vegetable  matter,  rest¬ 
ing  upon  a  bed  of  marl.  It  is  not  unlikely,  that  this  at  some 
future  day,  will  become  the  most  valuable  land  in  the  country. 
It  lies  some  twenty-five  feet  higher  than  the  lake,  and  presents 
admirable  facilities  for  draining.  Twenty  years  ago,  wood, 
cut  and  corded,  was  worth  but  three  shillings  a  cord  ;  it  is 
now  worth  five  shillings  a  cord,  standing.  A  scarcity  of  tim¬ 
ber  is  already  beginning  seriously  to  be  felt.  The  extensive 
and  beautiful  forests  have  been  cleared,  and  in  their  place 
tasteful  mansions  have  risen  up,  and  the  hum  of  business  pre¬ 
vails,  where  but  a  few  years  since,  nothing  was  heard  but  the 
howl  of  wild  beasts,  and  the  strokes  of  the  woodman’s  ax. 

Captain  John  Shepard,  who  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
war,  drew  lot  number  eleven,  Cicero,  lying  at  the  outlet  of 
Oneida  Lake.  At  an  early  day  he  took  possession  of  his  lot, 
sold  a  part  of  it,  cleared  and  cultivated  the  residue,  and  with 
his  family,  lived  happily  upon  it  many  years,  till  his  death,  in 
1824.  After  the  war,  he  became  a  Presbyterian  preacher, 
and  officiated  as  such  during  a  great  part  of  his  residence 
here.  He  was  the  only  man  who  occupied  a  lot  in  this  town 
for  which  he  served.  It  has  been  related  to  the  author  by 
several  capable  of  judging,  that  he  was  a  superior  Latin  and 
Greek  scholar,  and  excelled  in  the  classical  literature  of  the 
ancients.  He  Avas  a  most  excellent  man,  and  his  death  was 
much  lamented  by  all  Avho  knew  him. 

According  to  the  census  of  1845,  there  are  in  this  town : 
number  of  inhabitants,  2G51.  223  subject  to  military  duty, 


190 


ONONDAGA. 


597  voters,  23  aliens,  624  child  ren  attending  common  schools, 
8192  acres  of  improved  land,  1  saw-mill,  2  asheries,  3  tanner¬ 
ies,  1  Baptist  Church,  1  Methodist  do.,  1  Dutch  Reformed 
do.,  16  common  schools,  4  taverns,  6  Stores,  450  farmers, 
7  merchants,  50  mechanics,  3  Clergymen,  2  physicians,  2  law¬ 
yers. 

Clay. — This  town  was  originally  a  part  of  the  Military 
Township  of  Cicero,  and  was  erected  therefrom  in  1827. 
Much  of  its  early  history,  therefore,  is  comprehended  in  the 
town  of  Cicero.  The  town  of  Clay  received  its  name  in  hon¬ 
or  of  the  distinguished  statesman,  Henry  Clay.  The  name 
was  at  first  objectionable  to  a  portion  of  the  inhabitants,  who 
for  several  years  after  its  organization,  petitioned  the  Legis¬ 
lature  to  alter  it,  but  without  effect.  At  the  time  the  town 
was  organized,  it  contained  less  than  seven  hundred  inhabi¬ 
tants.  The  first  white  settler  in  this  town,  then  Lysander, 
was  Patrick  McGee,  at  Three-River-Point,  in  1793,  and  in 
1798,  Adam  Coon  settled  in  the  north  east  corner  of  the 
town,  and  Simeon  Baker,  on  the  Seneca  River,  in  1799'.  In 
1800,  John  Lyme  settled  near  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  is 
now  (1847)  living,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-seven  years, 
since  which,  the  town  has  settled  somewhat  rapidly.  Joshua 
Kinne  and  family,  settled  in  this  town  in  1807,  Elijah  Pinck¬ 
ney  and  others,  the  same  year,  and  soon  after,  Patrick  Mc¬ 
Gee  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  town,  at  Three-River 
Point,  in  1808  or  ’9.  When  Mr.  McGee  first  visited  this 
place,  which  was  in  1780,  while  a  prisoner  to  the  British,  on 
his  way  to  Fort  Oswego  and  Canada,  there  was  an  extensive 
clearing  at  this  point,  handsomely  laid  in  grass,  without  a 
shrub  or  tree  for  something  like  a  mile  or  more  along  the 
banks  of  each  river.  This  spot  was  often  appropriated  to  the 
holding  of  the  great  councils  of  the  Iroquois  confederacy. 
Upon  this  spot,  Dekanissora,  Sadekanaghte  and  Garangula 
have  addressed  the  braves  of  the  Hurons  and  Adirondacks,  and 
the  Abenaquis.  And  here  too,  have  the  French  and  the  Eng¬ 
lish  met,  in  these  distinguished  chiefs,  orators  and  diploma- 


TOWNS C  LAY, 


192 


tists,  equal  to  themselves,  in  all  that  pertains  to  sagacity  and 
skill. 

Japheth  Kinne  settled  in  Cicero  about  the  year  1809.  The 
first  settlers,  previous  to  clearing  their  lands,  procured  their 
breadstuff's  from  Jackson’s  mills,  near  Jamesville.  And  after 
they  had  been  successful  in  raising  grain  of  their  own,  went 
there  to  mill,  till  the  mills  were  erected  at  what  is  now  Syra¬ 
cuse.  It  was  customary  for  men  to  carry  a  grist  of  a  bushel 
or  a  bushel  and  a  half,  on  their  backs,  a  distance  of  twelve  or 
fourteen  miles,  to  these  mills  through  the  woods,  guided  only 
by  blazed  trees,  occupying  two  or  three  days  in  the  perform¬ 
ance  of  the  journey.  After  roads  were  cut  through,  a  neigh¬ 
bor  would  take  the  grists  of  a  whole  neighborhood  upon  an 
ox  sled  or  cart,  and  carry  them  to  these  mills.  By  general 
arrangement  and  common  consent,  this  service  was  perform¬ 
ed  by  rotation,  throughout  the  whole  settlement,  never  taking 
less  than  two  days  to  perform  the  journey.  Onondaga  Hol¬ 
low  was  then  the  only  Post-Office  at  which  letters  were  re¬ 
ceived  and  delivered,  and  persons  visiting  the  Post-Office, 
brought  the  mail  matter  for  the  whole  neighborhood  in  which 
he  resided. 

The  first  and  most  important  article  of  trade  was  salt  bar¬ 
rels,  large  quantities  of  which  are  manufactured  and  carried 
to  the  salt  works,  which  bring  a  fair  profit,  and  in  many  in¬ 
stances  have  proved  a  source  of  individual  wealth. 

The  first  Post-Office  was  established  in  the  west  part  of  the 
town,  and  called  “West  Cicero,”  about  the  year  1825,  and 
Nathan  Teall  appointed  Post  Master.  Mr.  Teall  was  suc¬ 
ceeded  by  William  Hale  and  James  Little.  Since  the  town 
was  organized  it  has  been  named  “  Clay.” 

A  log  school  house,  the  first  in  this  town,  was  erected  at 
Clay  Corners  about  1808,  and  a  teacher  named  Hall,  taught  the 
first  school.  At  Clay,  near  the  river,  a  log  school  house  was 
erected,  in  1809,  and  a  frame  one  in  1812 — Moses  Kinne,  the 
teacher.  He  previously  kept  a  school  in  his  own  house. 

The  first  Physician  in  town,  was  Dr.  Olcott ;  the  second, 
Dr.  Church,  and  afterwards,  Dr.  Starling  and  Dr.  Soule. 


192 


ONONDAGA. 


The  first  town  meeting  for  Clay,  was  held  in  April,  1827, 
Andrew  Johnson  chosen  the  first  Supervisor,  and  Jacob  Ter- 
rel,  Town  Clerk. 

Post-Ofiice  established  at  Euclid,  in  1827 — Andrew  Thomp¬ 
son,  first  Post  Master,  to  1832,  afterwards  Nathan  Soule. 

Jefferson  Freeman,  the  first  merchant  at  Euclid,  1831. 
Blossom  &  Dyckman,  L.  Soule,  and  Stone  &  Daniels,  have 
been  merchants  here. 

The  bridge  across  the  Seneca  River,  was  first  built  by  the 
Sodus  Bay  and  Westmoreland  Turnpike  Company,  erected  in 
1824,  but  not  completed.  The  turnpike  was  not  made,  and 
J.  L.  Yoorhees,  Esq.,  obtained  a  charter  in  his  own  name, 
finished  the  bridge,  which  was  a  toll  bridge  till  1843,  when  it 
was  re-built  as  a  free  bridge.  The  State  Legislature  appro¬ 
priated  eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  towards  defraying  the 
expense,  and  the  towns  of  Lysander  and  Clay,  each  one  thou¬ 
sand  dollars.  Whole  cost,  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars. 

The  village  at  this  point,  is  called  Belgium,  and  is  situated 
on  both  sides  of  the  Seneca  River.  There  were  only  four 
dwelling  houses  here  in  1827.  There  are  now  twTenty-eight ; 
and  one  hundred  and  sixty  inhabitants,  three  dry  good  stores, 
four  grocery  and  provision  stores,  two  taverns,  three  black¬ 
smiths,  one  tailor  and  one  shoe  shop,  and  the  famous  “  Orien¬ 
tal  Balm  Pill”  manufactory,  which  last  employs  a  great  part 
of  the  year  from  thirty  to  fifty  persons.  James  Little  was 
the  only  family  in  1828,  on  the  Lysander  side,  but  others  set¬ 
tled  there  about  that  time,  viz  :  Henry  Y.  S.  McMechan, 
Oliver  Bigsbee,  Sylvenus  Bigsbee,  Garnett  C.  Sweet,  who  had 
charge  of  the  Col.  Newkirk  property,  Rev.  William  M.  Wil¬ 
lett,  a  son  of  Col.  Marinus  Willett,  of  Revolutionary  renown, 
who  occupied  a  lot  drawn  by  his  father,  which  was  afterwards 
transferred  to  Mr.  John  Stevens  and  others.  Dr.  Adams  had 
a  store  here,  in  1838,  and  Phillip  Farrington,  in  1831.  First 
frame  building  was  the  toll  house,  on  the  east  side  of  the  riv¬ 
er,  erected  in  1825.  Japheth  Ivinne  erected  the  first  dwell- 


193 


) 

TOWNS.— CLAY. 

ing  house,  in  1825.  James  Little,  the  second,  in  1829.  First 
school  kept  here,  was  by  Perry  Eno,  1827. 

First  merchant,  Martin  Luther,  in  1828,  Sylvenus  Bigshee 
&  Co.,  1828.  Jonas  C.  Brewster,  succeded  them  in  1829. 
James  Little,  1830. 

The  Methodist  Wesleyan  society  erected  their  house  of  wor¬ 
ship  here  in  1832. 

Physicians  here,  have  been,  first,  Dr.  A.  P.  Adams,  second 
Dr.  Hays  McKinley,  third,  Dr.  James  V.  Kendall,  fourth, 
Botanic  Dr.  Daniel  W.  Bailey.  There  has  never  a  lawyer 
settled  in  this  town. 

At  Oak  Orchard  Rift,  near  the  bank  of  the  river,  are  the 
evidences  of  an  extensive  burying  ground.  This  rift  was  a 
common  fording  place  for  the  Indians,  and  formerly  was  much 
resorted  to  by  them  for  fishing. 

The  first  saw-mill  was  erected  in  the  north  east  part  of  the 
town,  by  Abraham  Young,  on  a  small  stream  which  affords 
water  to  drive  the  mill  only  in  spring  and  fall.  There  are 
no  streams  in  this  town  of  sufficient  capacity  to  be  used  to 
advantage,  for  machinery  of  any  kind.  The  only  streams  of 
any  magnitude,  are  the  Oneida  River,  on  ‘the  north,  and  Sene¬ 
ca  River,  on  the  west. 

The  first  house  of  worship,  was  erected  in  the  north  east 
part  of  the  town,  in  what  is  called  the  Dutch  Settlement,  by 
a  society  of  Dutch  Reformed. 

The  Baptists  have  a  society — Elders  Warner  and  Lamb, 
were  the  first  clergymen  who  settled  here.  Their  house  of 
worship  was  erected  in  1838.  Obadiah  Morrell  was  their  min¬ 
ister  for  a  time. 

This,  like  the  other  towns  in  the  northern  section  of  the 
county,  is  fast  improving,  and  bids  fair  to  take  rank  among 
the  first. 

Statistics  for  the  town  of  Clay,  taken  from  the  census  of 
1845  : — Number  of  inhabitants,  2789.  267  subject  to  mili¬ 

tary  duty,  619  voters,  29  aliens,  3  paupers,  531  children  at¬ 
tending  common  schools,  12776  acres  of  improved  land,  4 
saw-mills,  1  Baptist  church,  1  Dutch  Reformed  do.,  18  com- 

b  13 


194 


ONONDAGA. 


mon  schools,  1  select  do.,  4  taverns,  3  stores,  5  groceries, 
435  farmers,  3  merchants,  9  manufacturers,  55  mechanics, 
5  clergymen,  and  3  physicians. 

Manlius.  —  Azariah  Smith.  —  The  parents  of  Azariah 
Smith,  lived  at  Middlefield,  Massachusetts,  where  the  subject  of 
this  notice  was  born,  December  7th,  1784.  His  father,  Mat¬ 
thew  Smith,  was  a  farmer  in  moderate  circumstances,  and  un¬ 
able  to  afford  a  liberal  education  to  a  numerous  family ;  con¬ 
sequently,  this  son  received  only  the  limited  education  furnished 
by  the  common  schools  of  that  period,  with  the  addition  of  three 
months  attendance  at  Westfield  Academy.  We  have  heard  him 
say,  that  much  of  his  early  education  was  acquired  at  the  family 
fireside,  while  his  mother  and  sisters  were  diligently  sewing  or 
knitting,  and  his  father  listening  to  the  inquiries  of  his  sons 
and  answering  their  questions,  in  the  rudiments  of  their  edu¬ 
cation.  His  summers  were  spent  at  home  with  his  father  up¬ 
on  the  farm,  and  his  winters,  after  he  was  of  suitable  age, 
were  employed  in  teaching  school,  until  he  arrived  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years.  The  next  spring  after  he  became  of  age, 
he  was  employed  by  a  neighboring  farmer,  for  whom  he  la¬ 
bored  six  months.  The  succeeding  winter,  he  taught  a  school, 
as  had  been  his  practice  for  several  years ;  and  about  the  first 
of  April,  1807,  started  on  horseback  for  Onondaga  Hill,  with 
the  intention  of  becoming  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  his  cousin, 
Calvin  Smith.  In  due  time  he  arrived  at  his  destined  place, 
and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  a  clerk  as  he  had  contemplated. 
He  continued  with  his  cousin  about  eight  weeks,  when  Mr. 
John  Meeker,  then  the  proprietor  of  several  stores  in  this 
county,  proposed  to  Mr.  Smith  to  open  another  store  at  Man¬ 
lius,  to  furnish  all  the  capital,  and  give  to  him  one-half  the 
profits,  as  a  compensation  for  going  there  and  taking  charge 
of  the  business.  This  offer  was  accepted,  and  on  the  3d  day 
of  June,  1807,  they  opened  a  store  in  Manlius  village,  in  a 
frame  building  on  the  south  side  of  the  turnpike,  nearly  op¬ 
posite  the  brick  store  which  he  afterwards  built  and  occupied, 
and  which  is  now  occupied  by  his  son  Charles.  Thus,  after  a 


M 


&  * 


TOWNS.  —  MANLIUS.— AZART  All  SMITH.  195 


clerkship  of  only  eight  weeks,  Mr.  Smith  from  a  laboring 
farmer,  became  a  merchant,  having  charge  of  a  large  stock 
of  goods,  and  at  once  entered  upon  an  extensive  mercantile 
career.  His  tact  and  capacity  for  the  transaction  of  import¬ 
ant  business,  manifested  itself  at  once  in  his  first  intercourse 
with  the  world,  and  a  person  had  only  to  transact  business 
with  him,  to  become  satisfied  of  his  competency  for  any  branch 
within  the  ordinary  range  of  human  affairs.  He  was  ex¬ 
tremely  rapid  in  his  arithmetical  calculations  and  almost  uni¬ 
versally  correct :  so  mucli  so,  that  few  who  were  acquainted 
with  him,  took  the  trouble  to  review  or  examine  his  compu¬ 
tations.  It  was  enough  in  the  minds  of  most  persons,  that 
business  was  done  by  him,  and  it  seemed  to  be  a  guarantee 
that  it  was  done  correctly.  In  the  outset,  he  established  a 
character  for  strict  honesty  and  integrity,  characteristics 
which  were  predominant  throughout  a  long  life  of  complicated 
and  laborious  toil. 

He  continued  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Meeker  until  the 
16th  of  June,  1810;  during  which  time,  he  amassed  sufficient 
capital  to  enable  him  to  embark  in  business  on  his  own  ac¬ 
count. 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Zilpha  Mack,  in  August,  1811,  by 
the  Rev.  Jonathan  Nash.  He  soon  arranged  his  affairs,  and 
opened  an  extensive  store  for  the  times,  and  was  unusualy  suc¬ 
cessful  in  all  his  undertakings.  Subsequently,  he  entered  ex¬ 
tensively  into  the  cotton  manufacturing  business,  which  he  pur¬ 
sued  with  varied  success  to  the  time  of  his  decease.  As  he 
became  known  abroad,  his  rare  business  talents  developed 
themselves,  and  he  was  often  called  upon  to  exercise  them  in 
the  settlement  of  other  people’s  affairs.  There  were  few  men 
in  the  country  who  could  keep  pace  with  him  iu  the  various 
combinations  of  numbers  as  they  presented  themselves  in  the 
operations  of  business  ;  and  the  Hon.  Silas  Wright,  (who  was 
ever  acknowledged  as  a  superior  arithmetician)  with  whom  he 
once  had  occasion  to  come  in  contact  in  the  settlement  of  a 
long  and  complicated  set  of  accounts,  remarked,  that  he  was 
the  only  man  he  had  ever  met  with,  whose  rapidity  of  compu- 


196 


ONONDAGA. 


tation  was  such,  that  he  could  not  easily  follow.  It  frequently 
seemed  as  if  he  jumped  at  conclusions  without  an  effort.  He 
would  often  take  a  bond  upon  which  endorsements  upon  en¬ 
dorsements  had  been  made,  in  time  and  out  of  time,  and  com¬ 
paratively  without  thought  or  mental  effort,  and  with  but  an 
occasional  figure,  set  down  the  correct  result. 

While  he  lived,  perhaps  there  was  not  his  equal  in  the 
transaction  of  business  in  the  State,  certainly  not  in  our  coun¬ 
ty.  Possessed  of  an  iron  constitution,  he  would  sit  more 
hours  at  a  table  than  any  other  person  would  be  willing  to ; 
and  if  within  the  range  of  any  reasonable  time,  would  not 
rise  until  what  was  to  be  done  was  accomplished. 

Promptitude,  dispatch,  forecast,  celerity  and  accuracy,  be¬ 
ing  prevailing  elements  of  his  character,  he  would  accomplish 
more  labor  within  a  given  time,  than  any  one  known  to  the 
circle  in  which  he  acted. 

He  was  remarkable  for  the  versatility  of  his  powers,  and 
could  readily  turn  his  attention  from  one  kind  of  business  to 
another ;  and,  while  some  persons  would  spend  hours  in  doubt 
as  to  what  should  next  be  done,  he  would  dispose  of  what  pre¬ 
sented  itself,  and  again  be  in  readiness  for  something  new. 
If  there  was  a  knotty,  tangled  set  of  accounts  to  straighten 
and  unravel,  he  was  the  man  of  all  others  selected  to  perform 
the  work,  and  the  more  complicated  the  affair,  the  more  ac¬ 
ceptable  to  him  ;  and  what  was  very  remarkable,  he  usually 
settled  difficulties  of  this  nature  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  con¬ 
cerned.  Prom  the  integrity  of  his  character  and  his  acknowl¬ 
edged  uprightness  of  conduct,  he  was  often  called  upon  to  ad¬ 
minister  upon  extensive  and  complicated  estates,  and  with  the 
most  undeviating  honesty,  disposed  of  the  several  interests, 
not  only  agreeable  to  the  laws  of  the  land,  but  to  the  admira¬ 
tion  of  all  parties.  As  a  business  man,  in  all  of  his  transac¬ 
tions  he  was  of  the  most  uncorrupt  and  approved  integrity ; 
and  during  a  great  part  of  his  life,  was  extensively  engaged 
in  those  multiform  transactions,  which  test  the  character  and 
give  its  true  image  to  the  world.  No  man  can  rise  up  and  say, 
that  he  ever  practiced  deception  or  fraud,  or  sought  to  turn 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS.— AZARIAH  SMITH.  197 


the  necessities  of  others  to  his  own  advantage.  This  trait  of 
his  character  was  understood  wherever  he  was  known.  It  se¬ 
cured  for  him  the  confidence  of  all ;  and  it  is  but  justice  to 
his  character  to  say,  that  confidence  was  never  abused.  His 
highest  aim  was  to  the  utmost  of  his  power  to  do  what  was 
right  between  man  and  man.  It  is  no  extravagant  praise  to 
say  of  him,  that  as  a  business  man,  he  was  not  excelled  ;  but 
it  was  not  in  this  sphere  alone,  that  his  talents  and  character 
shone  most  conspicuous. 

For  a  period  of  forty  years,  he  was  a  resident  of  Manlius  Vil¬ 
lage,  and  during  all  that  time,  he  wTas  strictly  identified  with 
its  growth  and  various  improvements.  His  interest  in  the 
general  welfare  was  showm  by  his  liberal  pecuniary  contribu¬ 
tions  to  every  worthy  object,  and  he  was  unsparing  of  his  la¬ 
borious  personal  exertions  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  public 
good.  There  is  not  a  religious  society  in  the  village,  but  owes 
him  a  debt  of  lasting  gratitude,  for  sacrifices  and  personal  ex¬ 
ertions  made  in  their  behalf.  In  him  the  cause  of  education 
always  found  a  tried  friend  and  ready  supporter,  upon  all  oc¬ 
casions.  The  Sunday  school  found  in  him  a  teacher  and  ad¬ 
viser — the  district  school,  a  promoter  and  active  supporter — 
Manlius  Academy,  a  founder  and  a  friend — colleges  and  theo¬ 
logical  seminaries,  an  admirer  and  patron  ;  and  it  is  no  com¬ 
mon  praise  to  say,  that  at  the  time  of  his  decease,  he  was  a 
trustee  of  the  district  school  where  he  resided,  a  trustee  of 
Manlius  Academy,  a  trustee  of  Hamilton  College,  and  a  trus¬ 
tee  of  Auburn  Theological  Seminary  ;  a  circumstance  which 
exhibits  the  interest  he  took  in  the  cause  of  education,  and 
the  confidence  placed  in  him  by  others.  It  is  remarkable 
that  he  was  at  the  same  time  a  trustee  of  an  institution  of 
each  grade  in  our  educational  system. 

He  was  a  man  of  the  most  untiring  industry  and  energy 
of  purpose.  Industry  with  him  was  a  confirmed  habit — a  ne¬ 
cessity  of  his  nature,  and  no  man  ever  practiced  a  more  strict 
economy  of  time,  or  turned  it  to  better  account.  During  his 
evenings  and  leisure  moments,  he  drew  around  him  his  family, 
and  engaged  in  the  business  of  teaching  or  study  ;  and  it  was  at 


198 


ONONDAGA. 


intervals  of  leisure,  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  surrounded  by 
bis  sons,  that  he  stored  his  mind  with  a  tolerable  knowledge 
of  the  Latin,  Greek  and  French  languages,  and  those  higher 
branches  of  English  education  of  which  he  had  not  gained  a 
knowledge  at  an  earlier  period  of  life.  In  fact,  every  mo¬ 
ment  of  time  was  employed,  about  something  useful ;  hence 
he  became,  without  the  aid  of  schools,  a  man  of  varied 
knowledge,  and  although  engaged  in  extensive  business,  he 
found  time  to  store  his  mind  with  the  treasures  of  ancient  and 
modern  literature  and  science.  Distinguished  by  superior  gifts 
of  mind — by  a  ready  and  retentive  memory — by  strength  and 
penetration  of  intellect,  he  would  almost  at  a  glance,  mas¬ 
ter  the  most  abstruse  subjects,  with  the  readiness  of  an  ac¬ 
complished  scholar,  and  often  surprise  the  professed  philoso¬ 
pher,  or  divine,  or  lawyer,  or  scholar,  with  his  familiar  knowl¬ 
edge,  in  their  exclusive  departments.  In  regard  to  these 
qualities  and  acquirements,  he  was  a  shining  example  to  the 
youth  who  survive  him,  as  illustrative  of  what  may  be  accom¬ 
plished  by  application  and  industry,  not  only  in  the  common 
affairs  of  life,  but  in  those  higher  employments  of  literature 
and  science,  which  elevate  individual  worth,  and  tend  to  exalt 
and  magnify  mankind. 

In  regard  to  his  religious  views,  he  was  liberal  and  gener¬ 
ous  in  his  feelings  towards  Christians  of  all  denominations, 
and  respected  the  character  more  than  the  name.  Although 
a  living  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  his  mind  was 
fixed  upon  doing  good  to  all  men,  without  regard  to  sects  or 
creeds,  and  he  cherished  a  far  higher  and  stronger  regard  for 
the  essential  doctrines  and  duties  of  Christianity,  than  for 
professions  and  names.  He  rejoiced  in  the  prosperity  of  all 
denominations  ;  yea,  the  whole  human  race.  All  worthy  be¬ 
nevolent  enterprises  found  in  him  a  firm  friend  and  ready 
patron.  Bible  societies,  tract  societies,  missionary  societies, 
and  educational  societies,  were  largely  indebted  to  him  for  his 
efficient  and  liberal  support. 

While  he  was  liberal  to  others,  he  was  frugal  in  regard  to 
personal  gratifications,  and  a  prominent  trait  in  his  character 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS.— AZARI  AH  SMITH.  199 


was  self-denial,  and  few  men  with  his  means  at  command,  and 
so  liberal  for  the  comfort  of  others,  expended  so  little  for  the 
meat  that  perisheth.  Few  men  had  as  strict  and  consistent 
a  regard  for  the  Sabbath  and  holy  institutions,  as  he  had. 
Always  a  regular  attendant  upon  public  worship  himself,  his 
example  was  followed  by  those  under  his  influence. 

Mr.  Smith,  from  his  ability  and  eminent  qualifications,  was 
often  selected  for  important  offices  and  trusts.  In  1814,  he 
was  selected  as  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  public  lot  of  the 
town  of  Manlius,  and  as  such  assisted  in  effecting  its  original 
survey  and  sale.  At  this  time  the  town  lot  was  in  a  most  de¬ 
plorable  state,  and  to  his  unwearied  exertions  is  owing  our 
present  flourishing  town  school  fund,  arising  from  the  sale  of 
the  lot.  Although  an  adherent  to  the  political  party  which 
was  usually  in  the  minority  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  he  was 
often  chosen  Supervisor  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  some 
of  his  more  numerous  political  opponents. 

In  1824,  he  was  elected  one  of  the  Presidential  Electors, 
and  as  such,  cast  his  vote  for  John  Quincy  Adams.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  State  Legislature  in  the  years  1838,  1839, 
1840,  and  was  associated  with  Victory  Birdseye,  I’hares  Gould, 
James  R.  Lawrence,  and  James  L.  Voorhees,  of  our  county. 

In  1838,  he  was  placed  on  the  Committee  on  Claims.  This 
was  considered  the  most  arduous  committee  in  the  House.  Mr. 
Smith  was  charged  with  the  laboring  oar,  and  during  all  the 
session  was  incessant  in  his  labors,  and  contributed  materially 
in  lessening  the  number  of  canal  claims,  which  had  not  been 
previously  disposed  of.  He  was  also  at  this  session  appoint¬ 
ed  one  of  the  Committee  on  Prisons  and  Penitentiaries,  which 
Committee  visited  the  State  Prisons  and  Penitentiaries 
throughout  the  State,  and  suggested  many  valuable  reforms, 
which  were  adopted.  In  1839,  he  was  appointed  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Claims.  The  business  of  the  Committee 
this  year,  was  uncommonly  arduous.  Claims  were  still  press¬ 
ing  for  adjustment,  the  Committee  were  overrun  with  appli¬ 
cants,  and  it  required  no  common  share  of  discrimination,  to 
do  justice  to  the  State  and  to  the  claimants.  In  1840,  he 


200 


ONONDAGA. 


was  on  the  select  Committee  for  the  extension  of  time  for  the 
collection  of  taxes.  He  was  also  again  Chairman  of  the  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Claims.  He  was  also  on  the  Committee  on  the  in¬ 
ternal  affairs  of  towns  and  counties.  He  was  also  on  several 
select  committees,  on  all  of  which  he  was  actively  engaged, 
and  bore,  in  all  their  transactions,  a  conspicuous  part. 

Throughout  his  long  and  active  life,  wherever  he  was  found, 
there  was  found  a  leading  spirit.  He  was  an  example  of 
Christian  morality,  zealous  in  the  cause  of  benevolence  and 
philanthropy,  compassionate  to  those  in  affliction,  and  espe¬ 
cially  to  the  widow  and  the  fatherless,  who  felt  that  they  had 
abundant  cause  to  mourn  the  loss  of  one  who  had  ever  been 
unwearied  in  their  care.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  enter¬ 
prise  and  liberality  of  character,  and  for  his  devotedness  to 
the  public  good.  He  was  active  and  useful  to  the  last,  and 
although  for  two  or  three  years,  he  felt  that  his  bodily  powers 
were  giving  way,  and  yielding  to  the  insidious  encroachments 
of  age  and  disease,  he  labored  on,  so  long  as  his  strength  would 
permit,  and  it  was  not  till  he  was  prostrate  upon  his  bed,  that 
he  released  himself  from  active  exertion.  For  several  weeks 
previous  to  his  death,  he  was  unable  to  transact  business,  but 
at  length  rallied  and  resolved  to  visit  physicians  abroad.  He 
went  to  New  Haven,  his  disease  proved  obstinate,  and  he  ex¬ 
pired  in  that  city  on  the  12th  of  November,  1846,  aged  sixty- 
two — full  of  years  and  full  of  honors.  The  mews  was  commu¬ 
nicated,  by  telegraph,  to  Syracuse,  and  from  there  directly  to 
Manlius  by  express.  The  entire  community  was  overwhelmed 
by  the  intelligence.  It  was  a  time  of  general  mourning.  The 
Trustees  of  the  village,  of  which  board  he  was  a  member,  and 
the  Trustees  of  Manlius  Academy  held  meetings,  and  passed 
appropriate  resolutions  of  condolence  and  sorrow,  and  the  vil¬ 
lage,  en  masse,  poured  out  their  hearts  in  a,  public  meeting, 
expressive  of  their  sympathies  and  grief.  A  large  committee 
was  appointed  to  escort  the  remains  from  the  rail-road,  which 
was  amply  responded  to,  and  hundreds  availed  themselves  of 
this  opportunity  to  express  their  regard  and  respect  for  the 
distinguished  dead.  As  the  procession  approached  the  vil- 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS.— NICHOLAS  P.  RANDALL.  201 


lage,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  hundreds  of  lights  in  the 
hands  of  anxious  expectants,  lined  the  walks,  and  were  seen 
moving  around  with  silent  and  mournful  solemnity,  and  all 
fell  into  the  procession,  presenting  a  scene  which  can  never  be 
forgotten  by  those  who  wTitnessed  its  peculiar  effect.  On  Sun¬ 
day  the  corpse  was  buried  ;  the  procession  formed  amidst  a 
drenching  rain,  and  a  covering  of  umbrellas  was  made  almost 
without  interruption,  from  his  late  dwelling  house  to  the  Epis¬ 
copal  Church,  where  the  funeral  services  were  held,  after  which 
his  remains  were  conveyed  to  the  tomb,  amidst  the  sorrows 
and  tears  of  an  entire  community.  His  bright  example  will 
long  live  in  the  minds  of  those  who  knew  him. 

From  the  scenes  of  his  useful  labors,  from  all  the  tender 
ties  of  consanguinity,  he  has  passed  away.  The  clods  of  the 
valley  cover  all  of  him  that  was  mortal,  and  his  remains  are 
the  silent  tenants  of  the  tomb.  Although  returning  springs 
may  give  fresh  bloom  to  his  memory,  no  earthly  summer  can 
rekindle,  with  genial  warmth,  the  vital  spark.  A  heavenly 
season  will  impart  to  them  a  living  principle,  and  the  flower 
which  Time  destroyed,  shall  flourish  in  unfading  beauty  through¬ 
out  Eternity. 

Nicholas  P.  Randall. — The  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  at  Stonington,  Connecticut,  July  25th,  1779. 

At  the  age  fifteen,  he  resolved  upon  securing  the  benefits 
of  a  thorough  education.  His  father  not  being  in  possession 
of  a  fortune  sufficient  for  securing  so  valuable  a  blessing  to  a 
numerous  family,  he  was  by  fortuitous  circumstances,  thrown 
entirely  upon  his  own  resources.  By  perseverance,  applica¬ 
tion  and  industry,  he  secured  the  means  of  acquiring  a  com¬ 
plete  classical  education  by  his  personal  efforts,  and  finally 
graduated  with  distinguished  honor,  at  Yale  College,  in  the 
class  of  1803. 

Directly  after  the  completion  of  his  classical  course,  he  en¬ 
tered  the  law  office  of  Messrs.  Hotchkiss  &  Simons,  at  Clin¬ 
ton,  Oneida  County,  where  he  continued  until  his  professional 
studies  were  concluded,  when  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar. 
In  1807,  he  located  at  New  Hartford,  Oneida  County,  opened 


202 


ONONDAGA. 


a  law  office  and  there  continued  the  practice,  till  sometime  in 
1811,  when  he  removed  to  Manlius  village  and  entered  into 
partnership  with  James  0.  Wattles,  Esq.,  which  partnership, 
after  a  short  period  was  dissolved. 

From  his  activity  of  mind,  acute  legal  penetration,  pro¬ 
found  investigation  and  untiring  devotion  to  the  interests  of 
his  clients,  he  soon  became  distinguished  as  a  lawyer,  which 
drew  to  his  office  many  of  the  most  important  causes  which 
were  to  be  tried  in  the  courts  of  the  county,  and  in  the  Su¬ 
preme  Court,  and  Court  of  Chancery,  of  the  State  of  New- 
York,  and  perhaps  no  one  labored  with  more  assiduity,  or 
was  more  successful,  in  maintaining  the  causes  in  which  he 
was  retained  as  counsel.  Endowed  by  nature,  with  mental 
powers  of  a  high  order,  which  were  eminently  improved  by 
study,  industry  and  perseverance,  he  abhorred  all  deceit  and 
chicanery  in  business  matters,  incident  to  a  lower  order  of 
minds,  and  was  entirely  above  the  low  ambition  of  securing 
to  himself  a  great  number  of  clients,  by  misrepresentation 
or  artifice.  His  ambition,  (if  we  may  be  allowed  the  expres¬ 
sion,)  was  grounded  in  integrity,  and  in  a  desire  to  excel  in 
his  profession.  Mr.  Randall  excelled  in  that  most  exalted  of 
all  qualities — sound,  sterling  common  sense,  which,  with  his 
acknowledged  candor  and  urbanity,  gave  him  an  uncommon 
influence  with  the  Bench  and  with  juries  ;  which  few  men,  how¬ 
ever  much  they  might  have  surpassed  him  in  fluency  of  speech 
or  oratorical  arts,  attained. 

The  character  of  Mr.  Randall’s  genius,  was  original.  He 
acted  and  thought  for  himself.  With  a  mind,  independent 
and  decisive,  he  copied  after  no  man,  and  it  is  no  mean  proof 
of  the  strength  and  solidity  of  his  judgment,  that  his  coun¬ 
sel  was  so  often  sought,  and  received  with  so  much  deference, 
and  his  professional  celebrity  stood  so  high.  As  he  had  abil¬ 
ity  to  think,  so  had  he  also,  the  moral  courage  to  follow  the 
convictions  of  his  own  mind.  But  these  faculties  in  a  man 
actively  engaged  in  the  business  of  life,  failed  not  to  bring 
him  into  collision  with  many,  who  had  not  the  judgement  or 
discrimination  to  appreciate  his  motives,  or  honesty  enough 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS.— NICHOLAS  P.  RANDALL.  203 


to  commend  his  decided  course.  These  transcendant  princi¬ 
ples,  however,  could  not  fail  to  impart  to  himself,  and  his  im¬ 
mediate  friends,  the  highest  sources  of  enjoyment,  and  he  of¬ 
ten  had  the  satisfaction  of  receiving  the  gratulations  of  those 
who  from  prejudice  or  ignorance,  made  erroneous  estimates  of 
his  motives. 

The  arduous  duties  of  his  profession,  did  not  prevent  his 
engaging  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  his  youth,  he  had  been 
inured  to  the  labors  of  a  farm,  and  in  after  years,  from  choice, 
entered  into  both  the  theoretical  and  practical  operations  of 
agriculture,  with  all  the  zeal  and  ardor  of  one  depending  en¬ 
tirely  upon  its  results,  for  profit  and  support.  His  farm, 
though  small,  was  a  pattern  of  neatness,  order  and  thrift,  and 
none  knew  better  or  practiced  more  perfectly  the  principles 
of  this  science ;  presenting  an  example  in  the  highest  degree 
encouraging  to  useful  industry.  His  garden  was  stored  with 
trees  of  choicest  fruit,  planted  by  his  own  hand,  and  the 
sweetest  flowers  shed  their  fragrant  odors  around  his  dwelling, 
nurtured  by  his  care. 

Mr.  Randall  was  always  among  the  foremost  in  aiding  and 
advancing  the  cause  of  education,  in  all  its  various  branches, 
and  was  active  in  effecting  the  incorporation  of  Manlius  Aca¬ 
demy,  and  was  one  of  its  principal  founders. 

In  private  life,  Mr.  Randall  was  social,  amiable  and  agree¬ 
able,  and  although  the  requirements  of  business  occupied 
much  of  his  time,  there  were  few  men  who  could,  with  more 
dignity  and  grace,  contribute  to  the  refined  enjoyments  of  the 
social  circle,  or  afford  more  rational  and  solid  information, 
upon  the  varied  subjects  with  which  he  was  familiar.  He  was 
endowed  with  a  vein  of  pleasantry,  which  occasionally  evinced 
itself  in  the  humorous,  yet  never  detracted  from  his  dignity. 
His  friends  always  perfectly  at  ease  with  him,  were  never 
known  to  treat  him  -with  degrading  familiarity.  Their  regard 
and  respect  for  him  equally  forbade  it.  His  conversation  was 
stately,  instructive  and  delightful ;  his  deportment  dignified 
and  gentlemanly,  and  his  character  without  reproach. 

In  his  Christian  character,  he  was  remarkable  for  his  zeal,  pru- 


204 


ONONDAGA. 


dence  and  fidelity.  He  took  not  his  creed  upon  trust.  He 
■weighed  the  claims  of  Revelation,  and  the  various  branches  of 
the  Christian  family ;  and  in  the  preference  which  he  gave  to  the 
communion  of  his  adoption,  he  acted  upon  the  sober  dictates 
of  an  enlightened  judgment  and  an  honest  heart.  Hence,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  he  continued  without  wavering, 
steadfast  unto  the  end. 

For  many  years,  he  filled  the  stations  of  vestryman  and 
warden  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  at  Manlius,  the 
latter  of  which  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  reli¬ 
gious  experience,  in  view  of  his  approaching  dissolution,  par¬ 
took  of  the  same  rational  nature.  Harrassed  by  no  fears 
without,  and  an  approving  conscience  within,  he  calmly  resigned 
his  soul  to  the  hands  of  his  Maker,  without  any  anxiety  as  to 
the  issue. 

After  a  long  and  tedious  illness,  which  he  bore  with  truly 
Christian  fortitude,  he  died  at  his  residence,  in  Manlius  Village, 
on  the  7th  of  March,  1836,  in  the  fifty-seventh  year  of  his 
age.  The  mournful  intelligence  was  every  where  received 
with  feelings  of  sorrow  and  regret.  The  Bar  of  Onondaga 
County,  called  a  meeting,  and  passed  the  following  resolutions 
of  condolence  and  respect : 

“  At  a  meeting  of  the  members  of  the  Bar  of  the  county 
of  Onondaga,  held  at  the  Court-House,  in  the  village  of  Syra¬ 
cuse,  on  the  29th  day  of  March,  A.  D.  1836,  for  the  purpose 
of  paying  a  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  Nicholas  P. 
Randall,  Esq.,  one  of  the  members  of  said  Bar,  recently  de¬ 
ceased,  the  Hon.  Daniel  Moseley,  Judge  of  the  Seventh  Cir¬ 
cuit,  was  called  to  the  Chair,  assisted  by  their  Honors,  John 
Watson,  George  Petit  and  Otis  Bigelow,  Judges  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Pleas  of  said  county,  and  J.  G.  Forbes,  Esq., 
was  appointed  Secretary. 

James  R.  Lawrence,  Esq.,  from  a  Committee  appointed  by 
the  Chair,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Lawrence,  Watson,  Birdseye 
and  Jewett,  reported  the  following  resolutions,  which  were 
unanimously  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  members  of  the  Court  and  Bar  of  the 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS. 


205 


county  of  Onondaga,  have  received,  with  painful  emotions,  in¬ 
formation  of  the  death  of  Nicholas  P.  Randall,  Esq.,  for  many 
years  a  prominent  member  of  the  Bar  of  this  county. 

Resolved,  That  the  high  legal  and  scientific  attainments, 
and  the  uniform  fidelity  and  ability  which  Mr.  Randall  devo¬ 
ted  to  the  maintenance  and  protection  of  the  rights  and  inter¬ 
ests  of  his  clients,  and  to  the  elucidation  of  law  and  equity, 
have  deservedly  gained  for  him  a  high  standing,  in  a  useful 
and  honorable  profession  ;  and  while  we  deplore  his  death  as 
a  public  loss,  we  sympathize  with  his  family  and  friends,  that 
they  have  been  called  upon  to  part  with  one  long  endeared  to 
them,  not  only  by  eminent  public  usefulness,  but  by  high  moral 
qualities,  and  an  amiable  domestic  character. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  signed  by  the  Chair¬ 
man  and  Secretary  of  this  meeting — that  by  permission  they 
be  entered  upon  the  minutes  of  the  Court,  and  a  copy  be  trans¬ 
mitted  by  his  Honor,  the  Circuit  Judge,  to  the  family  of  the 
deceased,  and  also  that  they  be  published  in  the  newspapers 
of  the  county.  DANIEL  MOSELEY,  Chairman. 

J.  G.  Forbes,  Secretary.” 

The  loss  of  so  distinguished  a  man,  necessarily  created  deep 
sensations  in  the  community  in  which  he  had  lived,  and  to 
whom  he  had  become  endeared. 

The  house  of  mourning  was  surrounded  by  his  neighbors 
and  numerous  friends,  who  could  scarcely  credit  the  reality 
of  his  death.  The  funeral  obsequies  were  prepared,  and  his 
remains  conveyed  to  the  tomb,  amid  all  the  solemnities  that 
respond  to  the  deepest  sorrow,  with  which  every  heart  was 
afflicted  by  this  dispensation  of  Providence.  His  career  has 
left  us  a  splendid  and  animating  example,  which  points  the 
way  to  usefulness  and  fame,  and  shows  how  great  are  the  ac¬ 
quirements  which  well  directed  perseverance  and  industry  are 
able  to  achieve,  and  what  honors  and  rewards  are  the  happy 
results. 

Manlius. — The  first  white  settler  within  the  township  of 
Manlius,  was  Mr.  Benjamin  Morehouse,  in  1789  ;  and  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  best  information  that  can  be  obtained,  the  first  in 


206 


ONONDAGA. 


the  present  town  of  Manlius,  was  Mr.  David  Tripp,  who  came 
here  with  his  family  from  Ballston,  Saratoga  County,  in  1790. 
He  lived  in  a  log  house,  about  a  mile  north-west  from  Manlius 
Village,  not  far  from  where  Mr.  Salmon  Sherwood  now  resides. 
Far  from  the  abode  of  any  white  man,  it  was  with  the  great¬ 
est  difficulty  he  could  procure  a  sufficiency  for  subsistence  till 
he  could  raise  it  from  the  soil  by  his  own  labor.  At  one  time 
it  is  said,  the  only  article  of  food  which  his  family  had  for 
three  months,  excepting  wild  roots  and  milk,  was  a  bushel  of 
corn  which  he  procured  at  Herkimer,  and  brought  home  on 
his  back.  The  father  of  David  Tripp  died  at  his  house  in  the 
spring  of  1792,  and  was  buried  on  the  rising  ground  west  of 
Mr.  Samuel  Gregory’s  barn.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  first 
death  of  a  white  person  within  the  township  of  Manlius. 

The  next  settler  was  Mr.  Conrad  Lour,  who  located  near 
Mr.  Tripp,  and  erected  the  first  framehouse  in  town,  in  1792. 
He  brought  the  floor  boards  from  Palatine,  and  other  boards 
from  Danforth’s  mill.  Not  having  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
nails,  his  son  was  sent  to  Oriskany,  thirty-three  miles,  after 
some,  and  returned  with  forty-six  pounds  on  his  back.  The 
house  then  erected,  constitutes  part  of  the  dwelling  now  oc¬ 
cupied  by  Salmon  Sherwood. 

Mr.  Caleb  Pratt  came  to  the  town  of  Manlius  in  1793,  and 
when  living  remarked,  that  the  inhabitants  were  so  destitute 
of  provisions  and  the  common  necessaries  of  life,  that  the 
lank,  lean  sided,  long  necked  mice,  would  come  peeping  into 
the  crevices  of  the  log  houses,  and  shed  tears  of  sorrow  at  the 
poverty  of  the  inmates,  and  retire  without  finding  a  crumb  to 
satisfy  their  longing  appetites. 

Capt.  Joseph  Williams  came  to  Manlius  in  1795,  from  Con¬ 
necticut.  He  cut,  cleared  and  fenced,  five  acres  of  land  the 
first  summer  entirely  alone.  He  bought  his  land  at  twenty 
shillings  per  acre.  The  next  year  he  removed  his  family  on 
a  sled,  with  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and  was  eight  days  coming  from 
Galway,  Saratoga  County,  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  He 
had  erected  a  rude  cottage  beforehand.  When  he  arrived,  he 
had  but  fifty  cents  cash.  Wheat  was  worth  three  dollars  and 


\ 


TOWNS . — M  A  N  L I U  S .  207 

a  half  per  bushel,  corn  one  dollar  and  a  half,  and  common 
calico  seventy-five  cents  per  yard.  But  industry  and  frugali¬ 
ty  soon  increased  the  domestic  store  ;  the  wants  of  the  family 
were  not  only  supplied,  but  an  abundance  was  raised  to  spare 
to  the  needy  settlers  as  they  arrived,  and  plenty  crowned  their 
board.  Mr.  Williams  lived  long  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  la¬ 
bor  and  toil. 

Colonel  Elijah  Phillips,  at  an  early  day,  occupied  the  farm 
now  owned  by  Mr.  Peter  It.  Reed,  and  held  a  distinguished 
position  among  the  early  pioneers  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Wm.  Ward  settled  on  lot  ninety-3even,  in  the  spring 
of  1793,  and  he  was  sole  owner  and  proprietor  of  that  lot  in 
1794 ;  and  that  year  he  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
He  erected  grist  and  saw  mills  on  the  Limestone  Creek.  This 
was  the  first  grist  mill  built  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  as  now 
organized.  A  saw  mill  was  built  earlier,  at  the  old  mills. 
Joseph  Woodward  was  the  master  builder  of  Ward’s  mills.  At 
an  early  day,  before  dams  impeded  the  streams,  salmon,  salmon- 
trout  and  pickerel  were  very  plentiful.  The  Limestone  Creek 
was  a  favorite  resort  for  them,  and  many  instances  like  the 
following,  are  still  related  with  great  glee  by  the  early  settlers. 
To  give  an  idea  with  what  facility  they  were  taken,  as  we  have 
been  informed,  it  was  not  unfrequent  to  run  them  into  shoal 
water,  and  dispatch  them  with  clubs.  One  of  the  Mrs.  Tripps, 
while  assisting  her  husband  in  making  hay  near  the  creek, 
struck  her  pitchfork  through  a  very  large  salmon,  and  held 
him  fast  till  her  husband  came  to  her  aid  and  killed  it  with  a 
stone.  A  man  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Wm.  Ward,  on  going  to 
the  creek  one  morning  to  wash,  saw  a  large  salmon  flounder¬ 
ing  in  shoal  water,  and  dispatched  him  with  a  club.  Col.  John 
Sprague,  now  of  Fayetteville,  then  a  youth,  on  a  walk  from 
his  residence  in  Pompey,  on  an  errand  to  Manlius  Village, 
drove  a  shoal  of  salmon  into  a  hastily  constructed  enclosure, 
and  secured  a  back-load  of  them  with  his  hands,  and  carri¬ 
ed  them  home  in  triumph. 

Manlius  was  at  first  number  seven  of  the  Military  Town¬ 
ships.  At  the  organization  of  the  county,  in  1794,  the  town 


208 


ONONDAGA. 


of  Manlius  was  bounded  north  by  the  township  of  Cicero ; 
east  by  the  Oneida  Reservation ;  south  by  Pompey,  and  west 
by  Onondaga  Creek,  Lake  and  River,  including  all  the  Onon¬ 
daga  and  Salt  Springs  Reservations,  north  of  the  old  Genesee 
road,  and  east  of  Onondaga  Creek,  comprehending  all  the, 
present  towns  of  Manlius,  De  Witt,  part  of  Onondaga,  and 
part  of  Salina.  It  was  finally  reduced  to  its  present  territo¬ 
rial  limits  in  1885.  Let  it  here  be  observed,  that  the  origi¬ 
nal  townships  were  intended  to  contain  each  one  hundred  lots, 
and  each  lot  at  least  six  hundred  acres  of  land.  But  by  an 
error  in  the  calculations  of  the  Surveyor  General,  the  town¬ 
ship  of  Cicero,  as  originally  laid  out,  contained  but  ninety- 
nine  lots,  which  error  was  not  detected  till  the  commissioners 
had  commenced  the  drawing.  It  so  happened  that  lot  one 
hundred,  township  of  Cicero,  was  drawn  by  a  soldier,  and  lot 
number  seven,  township  of  Manlius,  adjoining  ninety-nine,  Ci¬ 
cero,  was  drawn  for  the  Literature  Fund.  In  order  to  do  the 
soldier  justice,  lot  number  seven,  Manlius,  was  transferred  and 
registered  as  lot  one  hundred,  Cicero.  By  this  maneuver, 
Manlius  was  shorn  of  one  lot  of  its  territory,  and  Literature 
of  so  much  of  its  fund,  but  the  soldier’s  land  was  saved  to 
him.  The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  tavern  of  Ben¬ 
jamin  Morehouse,  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  1st  of  April,  1794. 
Although  scattering  families  had  located  in  different  parts  of 
the  town  during  1791-92  and  ’98,  it  was  not  till  the  following 
years  that  Manlius  acquired  a  name  abroad,  and  settlers  look¬ 
ed  towards  it  as  a  suitable  and  desirable  place  of  residence. 
The  first  and  earliest  inhabitants  of  this  town  were  mostly 
from  New  England,  though  many  respectable  families  came 
here  from  the  Mohawk  River.  A  reference  to  the  first  town 
meeting  will  serve  to  show  who  most  of  the  principal  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  the  town  were  at  that  time. 

At  the  meeting  held  at  Benjamin  Morehouse’s  tavern  for 
the  first  election  of  town  officers,  Cyrus  Kinne,  Esq.,  was 
chosen  Chairman,  and  Levi  Jerome,  Secretary.  It  was  re¬ 
solved  to  choose  the  Supervisor  and  Town  Clerk  by  ballot, 
and  the  remaining  officers  by  holding  up  the  right  hand. 


TO  WNS.— MANLIUS. 


209 


The  ballots  being  handed  in,  the  Chairman  declared  Com¬ 
fort  Tyler  duly  elected  Supervisor,  and  Levi  Jerome  Town 
Clerk.  There  were  but  forty-two  voters  present  at  this  meet¬ 
ing.  Overseers  of  the  Poor,  were  David  Williams  and  Ben- 
jamin  Morehouse ;  Commissioners  of  Roads,  Charles  Mer- 
riam,  Elijah  Phillips  and  Ryal  Bingham  ;  Assessors,  Reuben 
Patterson,  Ichabod  Lathrop,  Isaac  Van  Vleck,  William  Ward 
and  Timothy  Teall ;  Constables  and  Collectors,  Caleb  Pratt 
and  David  Baker;  Overseers  of  Roads,  Libbeus  Foster,  Wil¬ 
liam  Ward,  Ichabod  Lathrop,  Reuben  Patterson,  Cyrus  Kin- 
ne,  Ryal  Bingham,  Jeremiah  Jackson,  Gershom  Breed  and 
Lemuel  Hall ;  Fence  Viewers,  Aaron  Wood,  Elijah  Phil¬ 
lips,  John  Danforth,  Jeremiah  Jackson.  At  this  meeting,  a 
bounty  of  four  pounds  was  ordered  for  any  person  presenting 
to  the  Supervisor  of  the  town,  the  scalp  of  a  full  grown  wolf, 
and  thirty  shillings  for  the  scalp  of  one  under  one  year  old. 
At  this  early  day,  with  neighbors  from  three  to  five  miles 
apart,  hogs  running  at  large  were  considered  troublesome, 
and  the  inhabitants  passed  a  good  old  New-England  resolu¬ 
tion  in  the  following  words  :  “  that  no  hog  shall  go  at  large 
without  a  stout  ring  in  his  nose,  and  a  yoke  about  his  neck,  ex¬ 
tending  above  the  depth  of  his  neck,  and  half  the  depth  below.” 

The  first  common  school  commissioners  for  the  town,  were 
chosen  in  1797,  and  Charles  Moseley,  Daniel  Campbell  and 
Isaac  Van  Vleck,  took  upon  them  the  charge  of  regulating 
common  schools.  A  special  committee  was  chosen  to  co-ope¬ 
rate  with  the  commissioners,  and  were  directed  to  proceed  to 
a  division  of  the  town  into  school  districts.  Gershom  Breed, 
Elijah  Phillips,  Jeremiah  Jackson,  and  Caleb  Pratt,  were  said 
committee.  No  regular  proceedings  of  these  commissioners  or 
committeemen  is  to  be  found  on  record ;  and  the  first  organi- 
zation  of  school  districts  was  very  imperfectly  made  in  the 
years  1810  and  1811.  They  have  since,  in  1835,  been  moro 
systematically  organized. 

In  1798,  a  vote  was  taken  at  the  annual  town  meeting  to 
ascertain  the  propriety  of  having  the  Gospel  and  School  lot 
settled.  Lot  seventy-four,  Manlius,  had  been  set  apart  by  the 

b  14 


210 


ONONDAGA. 


Surveyor  General,  for  Gospel  and  School  purposes.  The  vote 
was  decided  affirmatively.  In  1800,  John  Sweeting,  Super¬ 
visor,  and  Timothy  Teall,  Town  Clerk,  were  directed  to  take 
charge  of  the  town  lot.  From  this  time  till  1810,  the  public 
lot  was  most  shamefully  pillaged  and  plundered,  and  was  en¬ 
tirely  unproductive.  Notwithstanding  all  that  could  possibly 
he  done  by  the  Trustees,  it  was  found  next  to  impossible  to 
collect  rents  ;  and  finally  the  occupants  began  to  think  them¬ 
selves  the  real  owners.  At  the  time  of  its  sale,  some  three 
hundred  acres  had  been  stript  of  its  timber  and  left  without 
fence,  or  the  means  and  materials  'of  which  to  make  one, 
notwithstanding  pine,  oak  and  elm  timber  enough  had  been 
wasted  to  build  a  town.  In  1811,  Abijah  Yelverton  was  cho¬ 
sen  Commissioner  of  the  public  lot,  who,  with  the  Supervisor 
and  Town  Clerk,  were  directed  to  make  such  discretionary 
arrangements  for  its  preservation  and  safety  as  they  should 
see  fit.  It  was  leased  or  farmed  out  for  three  or  four  years, 
and  finally  was  sold  by  the  town,  May,  2d,  1814,  for  twelve 
thousand  one  hundred  and  fourteen  dollars  forty-two  cents. 
When  De  Witt  was  set  off  from  Manlius,  the  school  fund  was 
divided,  and  Manlius  received  for  its  share,  seven  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  fifty-two  dollars  forty-two  cents.  The 
annual  income  of  this  fund,  which  is  five  hundred  and  forty- 
two  dollars  and  sixty-seven  cents,  is  annually  divided  among 
the  districts  within  the  present  town  of  Manlius. 

Manlius  Village. — Without  doubt,  Mr.  John  A.  Shaef- 
fer  was  the  first  settler  in  Manlius  Village.  He  commenc¬ 
ed  his  residence  here  in  1792,  built  a  log  house,  very  near 
where  the  Episcopal  church  now  stands.  He,  like  many 
other  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county,  soon  after  opened 
a  tavern  and  sold  a  few  goods,  to  satisfy  the  very  limited 
wants  of  the  scattered  inhabitants.  In  the  year  1794,  a  son 
was  born  to  Mrs.  Shaeffer,  which  was  undoubtedly  the  first 
birth  in  the  village.  He  was  named  Baron  Steuben,  in  honor 
of  the  famous  General  of  that  name,  who  about  this  time, 
spent  a  night  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Shaeffer,  on  his  way  out  to 
Salt  Point,  with  Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  and  Gen.  Win. 


T  OWNS . — M  A  N  L I U  S  . 


211 


North.  The  circumstances  of  this  visit  have  been  related  to 
the  author  as  follows  : 

On  the  return  of  the  party  from  Salt  Point,  whither  they 
had  been  to  select  a  site  for  a  block  house ;  they  spent  the 
night  at  the  house  of  John  A.  Shaeffer,  Esq.,  “  inn  keeper,”  at 
Manlius.  The  guests  were  considerably  fatigued  with  their 
journey,  and  the  labors  of  their  important  trust,  and  retired 
early  to  rest.  During  the  night,  there  seemed  to  be  an  unu¬ 
sual  stir  about  the  house,  and  as  the  hour  of  midnight  ap¬ 
proached,  it  still  increased,  and  before  morning,  transpired 
one  of  those  unpostponable  events  incident  to  all  prosperous 
and  increasing  families.  The  Baron  was  greatly  annoyed  du¬ 
ring  the  night,  so  that  he  scarcely  slept  a  wink.  The  fre¬ 
quent  shutting  of  doors,  continual  tramping  of  busy  feet,  and 
hushed  sounds  of  female  voices,  which  were  greatly  magnified 
by  the  Baron’s  nervousness  and  the  importance  of  progress¬ 
ing  events,  kept  his  mind  in  a  continual  tumult. 

The  house  was  built  of  logs,  only  one  story  high,  with  two 
rooms  below  ;  the  chamber  being  the  whole  size  of  the  house, 
with  only  loose  boards  for  a  floor,  and  accessible  by  no  other 
means  than  a  ladder.  This  chamber  was  occupied  by  the  dis¬ 
tinguished  guests  of  Mr.  Shaeffer.  The  companions  of  the 
hero  of  this  tale  slept  soundly,  but  not  so  the  Baron.  He 
often  turned  himself  on  his  bed  of  straw,  seeking  rest  and 
finding  none,  continually  wondering  what  on  earth  could  ex¬ 
cite  such  wonderful  commotion,  and  he  finally  worked  him¬ 
self  into  an  almost  uncontrollable  passion,  which  could  scarce¬ 
ly  be  restrained  till  morning.  On  the  earliest  approach  of 
light,  the  Baron  rose,  still  in  his  rage,  vowing  vengeance  on 
all  below.  He  approached  the  redoubtable  landlord  in  not 
the  most  agreeable  humor,  saying,  “your  house  is  full  of  gos¬ 
sips  and  goblins,  sir;  I  hav’nt  slept  a  wink  all  the  blessed 
night ;  you  have  a  pack  of  dogs  about  you  noisy  enough  to 
deafen  one.  Sir,  I  repeat ;  your  house  is  full  of  gossips  and 
goblins.  Sir,  your  house  isn’t  fit  to  stable  swine.  Give  us 
breakfast,  let  us  be  off,  and  we’ll  not  trouble  you  again.”  The 
Baron’s  lage  was  at  its  height.  Mine  host  was  perfectly 


212 


ONONDAGA. 


dumb-founded  before  bis  enraged  and  angry  guest,  and  dared 
not  lift  his  head,  or  hint  the  cause  of  the  disturbance  during 
the  night.  But  soon,  to  give  relief  to  his  troubled  mind,  a 
woman  approached  the  angry  Baron,  -who  was  still  breathing 
forth  threatening, s  and  storm,  bearing  in  her  arms  an  infant, 
who  had  not  yet  witnessed  the  setting  of  a  single  sun,  saying, 
“  here,  Sir  Baron,  is  the  cause  of  all  the  trouble  and  noise 
last  night.”  The  gallant  old  soldier  instantly  felt  the  impro¬ 
priety  of  his  conduct,  his  habitual  good  humor  was  instantly 
restored,  his  accustomed  gallantry  prompted  him  at  once 
handsomely  to  apologize,  at  the  same  time  begging  ten  thou¬ 
sand  pardons  of  those  around  him.  He  tendered  his  most 
hearty  congratulations  to  Mr.  Shaeffer  and  his  wife,  and  offered 
to  bestow  his  own  name  on  the  new  visitant,  which  offer  was 
accepted,  and  forthwith  the  Baron  drew  a  deed  of  gift  for  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land,  from  his  domain  in  Oneida, 
and  after  breakfast,  with  his  friends,  went  on  his  way  rejoicing. 

Mr.  Charles  Mulholland,  was  probably  the  next  settler  after 
Mr.  Shaeffer.  He  lived  first  in  a  log  house  very  near  Mr. 
Ewer’s  present  residence.  Mr.  Mulholland  owned  a  consid¬ 
erable  share  of  lot  ninety-eight,  and  a  Mr.  Leonard  came  in 
possession  of  the  greater  part  of  lot  eighty-seven,  which  was 
occupied  by  Aaron  Wood,  Esq.  The  south-east  corner  of  lot 
eighty-six  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Cunningham,  who  lived  a  lit¬ 
tle  east  of  the  late  Sumner  Whitney’s  residence.  William 
Ward,  oAvned  the  whole  of  lot  ninety-seven,  and  resided  near 
Perry’s  mill.  These  four  lots,  be  it  observed,  corner  in  the 
village  of  Manlius,  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Perry, 
opposite  and  south  of  Charles  Smith’s  store.  Afterwards, 
Mr.  Jabez  Cobb,  came  in  posession  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  of  land  in  the  south-west  corner  of  lot  eiffhtv- seven, 
and  kept  the  tavern  after  Mr.  Shaeffer  for  a  number  of  years. 
Charles  Mosely  came  to  Manlius,  in  1796,  purchased  of  Mr. 
Cobb, .in  1802  or  1803,  and  sold  a  great  part  of  the  village 
lots  on  Pleasant  and  Seneca  streets,  east  of  the  line  of  the 
original  lot.  The  first  permanent  store  opened  in  Manlius 
Village,  was  kept  by  a  Mr.  Dickout,  in  1795,  in  the  first  frame 


TOW  NS.  —  MANLIUS. 


213 


building  erected  in  the  village.  It  stood  about  where  the 
ditch  is  now,  in  front  of  the  south-east  corner  of  Charles 
Smith’s  store.  Ebenezer  Calkins  sold  goods  from  a  tempora¬ 
ry  building,  near  the  Limestone  Factory  boarding  house.  He 
traded  principally  with  the  Indians.  Samuel  Edwards  kept 
the  first  school  in  the  village,  in  Mr.  Calkins’  shop.  The  first 
school  house  was  built  of  logs,  in  1798,  and  stood  just  north 
of  Midlar’s  mill.  The  first  name  given  to  the  settlement  was 
Liberty  Square,  by  Charles  Mulholland,  in  1800  or  1801 ;  it 
was  at  the  raising  of  Mr.  McLaren’s  barn.  After  the  frame 
was  up,  those  who  assisted  at  the  raising,  paraded  themselves 
on  the  front  plate,  named  the  village  Liberty  Square,  gave 
three  hearty  cheers,  and  threw  off  a  corked  bottle  of  spirits. 
This  is  what,  in  those  days,  was  called  the  christening  of  a 
place  or  building.  There  were  but  six  dwellings  here,  at  that 
time,  one  store  and  one  tavern.  The  name  Liberty  Square, 
was  retained  but  a  short  time,  and  soon  became  more  gener¬ 
ally  known  by  the  name  of  Manlius  Square.  The  distin¬ 
guished  Ornithologist,  Alexander  Wilson,  in  his  journal  of  a 
tour  through  western  New-York,  in  November,  1804,  mentions 
having  spent  a  miserable  night  at  a  village  called  Manlius 
Square,  of  about  thirty  houses.  There,  he  says,  he  was  obliged 
to  sing  nearly  the  whole  night,  to  drown  the  melancholy  groans 
of  his  disconsolate  companion,  who  could  scarcely  make  his 
way  through  the  snow  and  mud.  He  spent  a  day  here,  col¬ 
lecting  specimens  of  birds,  and  other  information.  The  an¬ 
nual  meetings  of  the  town  of  Manlius,  after  Onondaga  was 
set  off,  were  held  at  the  house  of  John  Delany,  in  Manlius 
Village,  for  three  years,  and  afterwards,  at  the  house  of  Cyrus 
Kinne,  at  the  Corners,  now  Fayetteville. 

Alvan  Marsh  settled  here  as  a  lawyer,  in  1798,  and  Doct. 
Sturtevant,  as  a  physician,  in  1796.  The  next  lawyers  after 
Mr.  Marsh,  were  II.  R.  Phelps,  Abijah  Yelverton,  James  0. 
Wattles,  N.  P.  Randall,  S.  L.  Edwards  and  others.  Physi¬ 
cians,  James  Jackson  and  Walter  Colton,  who  all  became  re¬ 
sidents  from  1802  to  1806  ;  afterwards,  IP.  L.. Granger,  Wm. 


214 


ONONDAGA. 


Taylor,  H.  B.  Moore.  Dr.  Deodatus  Clark  resided  in  Manli¬ 
us,  in  1812. 

Syl  venus  Tousley,  commenced  blacksmithing  in  1800,  and 
the  Mullhollands  were  considered  the  principal  land  holders 
in  the  neighborhood.  Merritt  Clark  and  Moses  Johnson,  were 
merchants  here,  in  1806  ;  and  Azariah  Smith,  in  1807,  com¬ 
menced  the  mercantile  business,  in  company  with  John  Meek¬ 
er,  in  the  building  now  occupied  by  E.  E.  May  as  a  dwelling. 
Mr.  Meeker  was  an  extensive  trader  at  that  time,  having  stores 
in  different  sections  of  the  country,  was  then  considered  both 
prudent  and  sagacious,  and  the  greatest  merchant  in  western 
New-York.  Mr.  Meeker  subsequently  carried  on  a  flourish¬ 
ing  business  in  the  old  block,  formerly  standing  a  little  west  of 
the  Episcopal  church.  Messrs.  James  &  Cummings  commenced 
trading  in  the  building  now  occupied  by  Elijah  Tryon,  in  1805, 
and  pursued  a  lucrative  business  for  several  years.  The  late 
Wm.  Malcolm,  of  Syracuse,  was  a  clerk  to  them.  This  build¬ 
ing  was  erected  by  Moses  Johnson.  Previous  to  1806,  Messrs. 
Ellis,  Livingston,  McDougald,  McLaren  and  Dennison,  were 
merchants  on  a  small  scale,  in  addition  to  those  already  before 
mentioned,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  John  Smith,  kept  a 
small  assortment  of  wares  about  this  time.  The  formidable 
name  of  John  Smith  was  rather  more  common  then  than 
now.  Manlius  Village  and  vicinity,  could  boast  of  no  less 
than  four,  and  they  were  distinguished  by  the  appellations  of 
long  John,  blind  John,  cross  John  and  John  stout. 

Mr.  Johnson  built  the  Red  Mills  in  1804,  which  were  then 
considered  a  stupendous  work.  Ilis  interest  in  the  mills  and 
other  property  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  William  Gardner, 
well  known  to  many  of  our  citizens  as  Deacon  Gardner,  father 
of  the  late  Lieutenant  Governor,  and  Mrs.  Elijah  Rhoades. 
He  prosecuted  business  on  an  extensive  scale,  purchased  a 
patent  right  for  the  manufacturing  of  nails,  and  erected  a 
nail  factory  at  considerable  cost.  He  was  afterwards  suc¬ 
ceeded  by  his  sons,  William  and  Charles. 

Luther  Bingham  was  appointed  Post  Master  for  Manlius  in 
1800 ;  he  kept  the  office  at  his  house,  which  stood  on  the  ground 


TOWNS . — M  A  N  L I U  S . 


215 


now  occupied  by  Lyman  Spear.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rob¬ 
ert  Wilson*  in  1803,  who  kept  the  office  for  a  number  of 
years  in  the  bouse  which  once  stood  where  the  widow  Wil¬ 
liams  now  lives.  Mr.  Wilson  was  succeeded  by  Doctor  ILeze- 
kiah  L.  Granger,  Nathan  Williams,  D.  B.  Bickford,  Joseph 
Rhoades  and  John  Grinnell,  Esqrs. 

The  first  knowledge  we  have  of  any  thing  like  a  congrega¬ 
tion  of  Episcopalians  in  this  vicinity,  is  in  the  years  1798-99, 
&c.,  at  which  time  the  families  of  Messrs.  David  Green,  John 

Roberts,  Jonathan  Hurd, - Ward, - Dodge  and  others, 

residents  of  the  townships  of  Pompey  and  Manlius,  used  to  as¬ 
semble  at  each  others  dwellings  and  conduct  worship  after  the 
Episcopal  manner.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Nash  first  preached  twice 
as  an  Episcopalian  clergyman  at  a  private  house  (David  Hib¬ 
bard’s)  in  Pompey. 

Rev.  Davenport  Phelps  came  on  directly  after,  a  Mission¬ 
ary,  and  often  preached  at  Manlius,  Eagle  Village,  Morehouse’s 
Flats,  and  Onondaga,  1802,  1803,  1804,  and  1800.  In  Janu¬ 
ary,  1804,  the  Episcopal  Church  was  at  first  organized  under 
the  Rev.  Davenport  Phelps,  Missionary.  Rev.  A.  G.  Bald¬ 
win,  Missionary,  1809,  Kev.  Parker  Adams,  first  Rector  1810, 
Rev.  William  A.  Clark,  1811 ;  church  building  erected  1813, 
since  which  the  following  clergy  have  had  charge  over  it :  Rev. 
Messrs.  Clark,  Pardee,  Bulkley,  Dyer,  Hickox,  Selkrig,  Hol¬ 
lister,  Pound,  Appleton,  Davis,  Pise,  and  Gay. 


*  During  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Robert  Wilson  accompanied  his  uncle, 
Captain  Gregg,  to  Fort  Schuyler,  and  was  desirous  of  accompanying  him  at  the 
time  he  was  shot  and  scalped,  but  on  account  of  his  youth,  (only  thirteen  years  of 
age)  and  the  apparent  danger,  was  not  permitted.  He  was  appointed  an  ensign 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  soon  after  received  a  lieutenant’s  commission,  and 
served  through  the  war — was  at  the  talcing  of  Cornwallis,  and  was  ordered  to  su¬ 
perintend  the  receiving  of  the  British  standards,  forty-eight  in  number.  When 
the  officers  of  the  British  army  were  drawn  up  to  present  their  colors,  as  many 
American  sergeants  were  directed  to  secure  them.  The  British  officers  refused 
to  deliver  them  into  the  hands  of  non-commissioned  officers,  and  Colonol  Hamilton, 
seeing  the  confusion  and  delay,  ordered  Lieutenant  Wilson  to  receive  them  and 
pass  them  to  the  hands  of  the  serjeants,  which  he  did  by  passing  between  the 
two  ranks  from  one  end  to  the  other,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all.  (Wilson's  own  re¬ 
lation  to  E.  W.  Clarke.) 


216 


ONONDAGA. 


Several  Congregational,  Presbyterian  and  Baptist  societies 
were  organized  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  during  the  years  1798, 
1799, 1800, 1801, 1802  and  1808  under  the  Rev.  Hugh  Wallace, 
Rev.  Seth  Williston,  and  Elders  Campbell  and  Breed.  The 
citizens  of  Manlius  Village  during  those  years,  many  of  them 
attended  meeting  at  the  “  Old  Mills.”  The  Presbyterian  So¬ 
ciety  in  the  village  was  organized  at  an  early  day,  and  erected 
their  house  of  worship  in  1816. 

Their  ministers  have  been  Rev.  Messrs.  Davenport,  John¬ 
son,  Reed,  Olds,  Hopkins,  Woodruff,  Cushman,  Kellogg,  In- 
gersoll,  Bates,  Smith,  Benedict,  Slocum,  Platt  and  Hastings. 
Baptist  Society  erected  their  house  of  worship  1827.  Clergy, 
Rev.  Messrs.  Morton,  Bellamy,  McCarthy,  Spalding,  Smith. 

The  Methodist  ministers  in  this  place  have  been  numerous, 
and  subject  to  annual  and  biennial  change,  are  not  named. 

The  first  wedding  in  the  present  town  of  Manlius,  and  in 
the  village  of  Manlius,  was  Mr.  Nicholas  Phillips  to  Miss 
Caty  Garlock,  January  14,  1793.  They  were  married  by 
Moses  De  Witt,  Esq. 

Fayetteville. — Joshua  Knowlton  and  Origen  Eaton  came 
here  in  1791,  and  made  some  clearing.  Cyrus  Kinne,  Esq., 
settled  here  the  year  following.  Mr.  Kinne  was  the  first  black¬ 
smith  who  carried  on  the  business  in  the  township,  and  for 
several  years  was  quite  a  distinguished  man. 

In  1801,  Carey  Coats  opened  a  tavern,  and  when  he  appli¬ 
ed  for  a  license  to  the  Board  of  Excise,  stated  upon  oath,  that 
he  had  two  spare  beds,  and  stable  room  for  two  span  of  hor¬ 
ses  or  two  yoke  of  oxen.  A  license  was  rather  reluctantly 
granted  him.  But  it  was  afterwards  positively  ascertained 
that  he  had  not  beds  sufficient  comfortably  to  lodge  even  his 
own  family.  The  presiding  officer  of  the  Board  of  Excise, 
remonstrated  with  the  new  tavern  keeper  on  the  impropriety 
of  his  conduct.  He  asserted  that  he  had  told  nothing  but  the 
truth,  and  referred  the  officer  to  his  father-in-law,  who  said  ho 
was  sure  his  son-in-law  had  two  spare  beds,  for  on  the  morn¬ 
ing  on  which  he  applied  for  a  license,  he  saw  him  make  two 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS. 


217 


beds  in  his  garden,  and  they  must  be  spare,  as  he  could  not 
borrow  seed  in  the  neighborhood  to  sow  them. 

John  Delamater  opened  a  store  at  this  place  in  1802.  Cy¬ 
rus  Kinne,  Esq.,  built  the  first  frame  house  in  1804.  The  set¬ 
tlement  was  for  a  long  time  called  the  Corners,  or  Manlius 
Four  Corners,  but  after  a  Post  Office  was  established,  it  re¬ 
ceived  the  name  of  Fayetteville,  and  was  extensively  known 
for  several  years  to  the  traveling  public  as  the  village  of  four 
taverns,  but  no  meeting  house. 

The  first  scattering  settlers  of  this  neighborhood  were  of 
the  Baptist  denomination.  A  Church  of  this  Society  was 
formed  as  early  as  1800.  Rev.  Father  Campbell  was  one  of 
the  first  Baptist  ministers  who  officiated  here.  Rev.  Elder 
Breed  was  also  a.  devoted  laborer  on  this  ground.  The  usual 
place  for  religious  meetings  was  the  schbol-house,  in  what  is 
commonly  called  the  Upper  District.  The  Presbyterian  was 
the  first  house  of  worship,  erected  in  the  year  1829,  by  the 
combined  efforts  of  all.  The  session-room  was  first  finished 
and  used  for  religious  purposes  by  all  denominations.  The 
Presbyterian  house  of  worship  was  dedicated  in  the  winter  of 
1830,  and  admitted  into  the  Presbytery  the  same  year,  with 
the  name  and  title  of  the  “  Presbyterian  Church  at  Fayette¬ 
ville.”  The  Rev.  Mr.  Cushman,  of  Manlius,  was  untiring  in 
his  efforts  to  build  up  the  Society  in  this  place,  usually  offi¬ 
ciating  on  Sunday  evenings.  The  same  room  was  frequently 
occupied  by  Elder  Breed,  w'ko  at  an  earlier  day  had  preached 
statedly  at  the  school-house. 

The  Methodist  Society  also  held  their  meetings  at  the 
school-house,  and  at  the  session-room  of  the  Presbyterian 
house.  The  several  houses  of  worship,  as  they  now  exist,  w7ere 
erected  and  completed  during  the  years  from  1829  to  ’33,  ex¬ 
cept  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Society,  which  was  built  in  1836, 
in  exchange  for  the  building  first  erected  by  them,  and  subse¬ 
quently  sold  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Academy. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  in  the  year 
1830;  a  building  erected  in  1831,  and  consecrated  in  1832. 
Settled  Clergymen  have  been,  Rev.  Messrs.  Northrup,  Engle, 


218 


ONONDAGA. 


Windsor,  Fenner,  Bartlett,  Hickox,  Pise.  These  four  reli¬ 
gious  denominations  are  very  well  sustained. 

A  work  of  considerable  magnitude  has  been  commenced  by 
the  citizens  of  Fayetteville,  and  is  nearly  completed,  which, 
when  finished,  may  be  the  means  of  making  that  village  a 
large  manufacturing  town.  A  dike  or  canal  has  been  formed 
to  receive  all  the  water  flowing  in  the  Limestone  Creek.  It 
commences  at  Hall’s  mill,  and  leads  to  the  village.  A  reser¬ 
voir  surrounding  a  beautiful  artificial  island,  has  been  exca¬ 
vated  sufficient  to  contain  a  large  body  of  water,  near  and 
above  the  projected  mill  sites.  A  small  but  very  durable 
stream,  called  the  Bishop  Brook,  has  been  turned  from  its 
natural  channel,  and  led  into  the  village  by  means  of  logs  of 
large  bore,  which  will  yield  a  power  capable  of  turning  ma¬ 
chinery  of  considerable  magnitude. 

Fayetteville,  for  many  years,  has  been  an  excellent  location 
for  the  purchase  of  grain,  particularly  barley.  In  former 
years  it  was  not  excelled  by  any  place  in  the  State  in  the  first 
purchase  of  that  staple  article.  For  the  last  two  or  three 
yeai’s  there  has  been  some  falling  off,  owing  to  the  partial  fail¬ 
ure  of  the  crop  in  this  and  the  adjacent  towns. 

Satan’s  Kingdom — once  eminently  distinguished  for  the 
belligerent,  litigious  and  pugnacious  character  of  its  inhabi¬ 
tants,  took  its  then  very  significant  name  from  a  man  who  was 
continually  at  variance  with  his  neighbors.  After  a  long  course 
of  law  proceedings  with  another  neighbor,  in  which  both  had 
the  worst  of  the  case,  one  declared  he  would  be  king  of  the 
country.  The  other  told  him  he  was  no  more  fit  for  a  king  to 
reign  over  that  place,  than  Satan  himself.  The  bystanders 
spontaneously  declared  the  first,  King  Satan,  and  the  settle¬ 
ment,  from  this  time  forward,  was  called  Satan’s  Kingdom, 
which  appellation  it  richly  merited,  and  by  which  it  was  ap¬ 
propriately  designated  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1814,  the 
inhabitants  called  a  meeting  at  the  school-house,  and  resolved 
to  change  the  name  of  Satan’s  Kingdom,  to  Pleasant  Valley, 
and  it  was  further  resolved  that  the  proceedings  should  be 
published  in  the  Manlius  Times,  and  that  Mr.  Smith  Burton 


T  O  W  N  S . — M  A  N  L I  U  S . 


219 


should  be  requested  to  accompany  the  same  with  a  suitable 
poetic  exposition  of  the  reasons  for  changing  the  name.  Ac¬ 
cordingly  the  proceedings  were  published  with  the  following 
verse : 

“  Since  the  King  no  longer  sits  on  his  Throne, 

We,  his  name  no  longer  will  own. 

Blit  around  the  standard,  we  will  rally, 

Of  peace,  and  call  the  place  Pleasant  Valley.” 

Kirkville. — The  settlement  at  Kirkville  was  commenced 
with  the  building  of  the  canal.  Mr.  Cunningham  opened  a 
tavern  there,  and  others  gradually  clustered  around.  In  1822, 
Edward  Kirkland,  a  son  of  the  late  Hon.  Joseph  Kirkland, 
of  Utica,  settled  on  a  large  farm  half  a  mile  north-east  of 
this  settlement,  and  in  1824,  was  appointed  Post  Master.  The 
settlement  and  Post  Office  were  named  Kirkville,  in  honor  of 
him.  Mr.  Kirkland  built  the  basin  at  his  own  expense,  on  the 
heel  path  side  of  the  canal,  put  up  a  large  store,  and  did  con¬ 
siderable  business  there  for  a  time. 

Bridgeport. — Messrs.  Isaac  and  John  Delamater  made  a 
settlement  at  the  Chittenango  Rifts  or  Rapids,  as  the  place 
was  then  called,  in  1802.  Judge  John  Knowles,  John  Adams, 
Esq.,  and  others,  settled  in  that  neighborhood  about  the  same 
time.  There  is  a  sudden  fall  in  the  Chittenango  Creek  here 
of  about  ten  feet,  which  yields  an  immense  water  power,  which 
is  very  little  employed.  It  is  a  famous  place  for  taking  suck¬ 
ers  and  other  fish,  early  in  the  spring,  and  from  this  circum¬ 
stance  has  been  denominated  the  sucker  bank.  It  was  once 
a  great  place  for  taking  salmon.  It  was  not  uncommon  to 
take  them  from  the  nets  weighing  from  twelve  to  twenty-five 
pounds.  Before  bridges  were  erected  they  were  taken  as  high 
up  as  the  Chittenango  Falls,  twenty  miles  above  the  outlet. 
Schooners  of  two  hundred  tons  have  been  built  and  launched 
for  the  lake  trade  at  Bridgeport,  previous  to  the  building  of 
the  canal. 

Hartsville — received  its  name  from  a  Mr.  Hart,  who  made 
a  purchase  of  the  water  power  at  that  place  in  1811.  He 
contemplated  erecting  glass  works,  flouring  mill,  &c.,  but 


220 


ONONDAGA. 


finally  sold  to  James  A.  Sherwood,  who  did  not  carry  out  the 
contemplated  improvements. 

Eagle  Village. — James  Foster  settled  at  this  place  on  lot 
eighty-eight,  in  1790,  and  directly  opened  a  tavern,  the  first 
in  the  present  town  of  Manlius.  It  was  very  early  resorted 
to  by  others  as  a  desirable  place  of  residence,  and  once  ear¬ 
nestly  contested  the  palm  for  superiority  with  Manlius  Village. 
Eagle  Village  could  once  boast  of  four  physicians,  three  mer¬ 
chants,  and  two  lawyers.  Charles  Mosely  set  up  a  store 
in  1793,  where  Giles  Everson  now  lives.  Elias  Stilwell 
owned  quite  a  large  tra.ct  of  land  in  the  neighborhood  at  this 
time.  A  Mr.  Stamford  opened  a  tavern  there  soon  after. 
Finally  the  store  was  abandoned,  and  Mr.  Mosely  traded  awhile 
at  Eagle  Village,  and  eventually  settled  at  Manlius  Village, 
having  spent  a  short  time  as  clerk  in  Mr.  Calkins’  store  near 
where  the  Limestone  Factory  now  stands.  Dr.  Ward  was  the 
first  settled  physician  in  the  present  town  of  Manlius,  and  a 
Dr.  Moore  soon  after.  Dr.  Smith  Weed  was  then  a  very  re¬ 
spectable  physician,  and  had  an  extensive  practice.  Dr.  Fisk 
and  Dr.  Washburn  once  did  a  respectable  business,  and  re¬ 
sided  here;  and  the  facetious  Dr.  Jonas  Fay  once  purchased 
a  lot  here  with  intent  to  reside  upon  it,  but  did  not.  Charles 
B.  Bristol  commenced  trading  here  as  a  merchant  in  1804, 
and  did  a  very  extensive  business.  During  the  war  of  1812, 
he  acted  as  a  distributing  commissary,  built  the  stone  distille¬ 
ry  in  1809  ;  put  up  the  first  threshing  machine  in  town  or 
county;  kept  the  finest  garden  in  the  county ;  drove  the  best 
team  of  eight  horses  known  on  the  road,  and  for  five  or  six 
years  was  considered  one  of  the  first  merchants  in  the  county. 
Amos  P.  Granger  first  commenced  business  at  Eagle  Village. 
Mr.  Walker  opened  a  law  office  in  1804.  Asa  Rice,  a  lawyer, 
kept  an  office  there.  Hon.  James  R.  Lawrence  was  a  clerk  to 
him.  A  Mr.  Smith  afterwards  kept  a  law  office  here  for  a 
short  time,  and  also  a  Mr.  Townsend.  Jared  Ludington  open¬ 
ed  a  shoe  shop  in  1800.  Libbeus  Foster  opened  a  tavern  in 
1794,  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Gershom  Sherwood.  It 
soon  became  one  of  the  most  celebrated  taverns  in  western 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS. 


221 


New- York.  It  contained  a  grand  masonic  hall,  a  grand  danc¬ 
ing  hall,  and  many  other  things  to  correspond. 

In  1811,  the  Eagle  Village  Library  was  incorporated  ;  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  volumes  were  purchased,  and  afterwards 
some  additions  were  made.  This  is  one  of  the  oldest  circulat¬ 
ing  libraries  in  the  county,  and  probably  contains-  as  good  a 
collection  of  rare  and  valuable  standard  works,  considering  its 
numbers,  as  can  be  found  in  the  English  language.  It  was 
here  that  the  first  school  was  kept  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  by 
Samuel  Edwards,  in  James  Foster’s  barn.  He  had  eight  shil¬ 
lings  per  quarter  per  scholar,  and  boarded  among  the  inhabi¬ 
tants.  At  this  place  occurred  one  of  the  most  singular  wed¬ 
dings  on  record.  It  was  upon  a  training  day,  first  Monday 
in  June,  1795.  A  company  training  was  held  at  Foster’s  ta¬ 
vern.  The  company  were  paraded  in  the  open  yard  in  front 
of  Foster’s  house,  a  hollow  square  was  formed,  within  which 
the  wedding  party  marched  and  stood,  and  Cyrus  Kinne,  Esq., 
united,  in  the  bonds  of  holy  wedlock,  Mr.  Billy  McKee  and 
Miss  Jenny  Mulholland.  Considering  the  simplicity  of  the 
times,  the  rare  occurrence  of  such  an  event,  the  elevated  posi¬ 
tion  of  the  high  contracting  parties,  and  the  practices  then 
prevalent  on  such  occasions,  we  cannot  but  infer,  that  the  wit¬ 
nesses  and  all  present  must  have  had  a  most  splendid  jollifica¬ 
tion. 

Old  Mills. — In  1792  or  ’93,  Elijah  Phillips  leased  the 
property  known  as  the  old  mills,  the  common,  &c.,  of  a  Mr. 
Hamilton  of  Albany,  for  the  term  of  sixty  years.  In  ’93, 
Mr.  Phillips,  David  Williams,  Aaron  Wood  and  Walter  Wor¬ 
den,  erected  a  saw  mill  here,  the  first  built  in  the  present 
town  of  Manlius.  David  Williams  soon  sold  his  share,  one- 
fourth,  to  Phineas  Stevens,  for  sixty  acres  of  land.  In  1796, 
Butler  k  Phillips  erected  a  grist  mill,  a  little  above  the  bridge, 
the  stones  and  gearing  having  been  previously  provided  by 
Mr.  Hamilton.  Clothing  works  and  an  oil  mill  were  put  in  op¬ 
eration  by  Deacon  Dunham  afterwards,  and  a  Mr.  Jones  kept 
a  small  store  there,  and  Wm.  Warner  another,  in  1811. 

The  first  newspaper  printed  in  the  county  of  Onondaga, 


222 


ONONDAGA. 


was  entitled  the  “  Derne  Gazette,”  and  was  published  by 
Abraham  Romyen,  in  the  village  of  Manlius.  The  first  num¬ 
ber  was  issued  in  the  spring  of  1806  ;  but  not  receiving  suffi¬ 
cient  patronage  and  support,  it  was  discontinued,  after  it  had 
been  published  a  little  more  than  a  year.  The  cause  of  the 
failure  of  the  “  Gazette”  was  mainly  owing  to  the  fact,  that 
at  the  time  it  was  established,  there  being  no  other  paper  in 
the  county,  its  editor  refused  to  publish  any  political  arti¬ 
cles,  except  those  of  his  own  particular  partizans  of  the  old 
Federal  school.  Party  feeling  ran  high  in  those  days,  and 
those  who  took  sides  with  the  Democrats,  refused  to  patron¬ 
ize  the  paper  at  all,  because  its  columns  were  not  open  to  free 
discussion.  The  whole  reading  community  then  being  small, 
one-half  of  it  could  not  sustain  Mr.  Romyen.  Another  cir¬ 
cumstance  undoubtedly  contributed  to  hasten  its  downfall. 
In  the  violence  and  bitterness  occasioned  by  party  feeling, 
and  in  taking  a  reckless  course  in  wilfully  vilifying  and  scan¬ 
dalizing  respectable  candidates  for  office  of  the  Democratic 
ranks,  Mr.  Romyen  subjected  himself  to  libel  suits,  which 
were  decided  against  him.  These  things  brought  the  “  Ga¬ 
zette”  into  bad  repute,  it  became  odious  to  many;  and  to  cap 
the  climax,  it  was  sarcastically  styled  the  Darn’d  Gazette.” 

At  the  time  the  “  Gazette”  was  established,  an  effort  was 
made  to  change  the  name  of  the  village  of  Manlius  to  that  of 
Derne.  At  first  the  citizens  acquiesced  in  the  plan  ;  but 
owing  to  circumstances  just  related,  and  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Romyen  proved  to  be  a  blustering  swaggering  sort  of  man, 
his  paper  became  unpopular,  as  did  the  name  by  which  it  was 
known.  It  is  thought  by  those  few  now  living  and  acquainted 
with  the  circumstances,  that  had  he  proved  himself  a  man  of 
stamina  and  been  liberal  in  his  views  and  to  his  patrons,  the 
village  of  Manlius  would  now  be  called  u  Derne.”  A  news¬ 
paper  called  the  “  Ilerald  of  the  Times,”  was  next  published 
by  Leonard  Kellogg.  The  first  number  was  issued  Tuesday, 
May  24th,  1808  ;  terms  two  dollars  per  annum,  or  one  dollar 
and  fifty  cents  in  advance.  The  size  of  the  sheet  was  about 
ten  by  seventeen  inches.  One  whole  page  of  the  “  Ilerald  of  the 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS. 


223 


Times”  was  open  to  the  essays  and  effusions  of  the  Democrats, 
and  another  to  the  Federals,  allowing  each  party  a  fair  chance 
in  the  strife.  Four  or  five  years  afterwards,  a  newspaper  was 
published  at  Onondaga  colled  the  “Lynx,”  when  Mr.  Kellogg 
changed  the  name  of  his  paper,  and  it  was  called  “  The  Man¬ 
lius  Times.”  Mr.  Kellogg  was  a  Federalist,  and  his  paper 
after  this  was  conducted  under  Federal  principles.  Mr.  Kel¬ 
logg’s  was  a  well  conducted  paper,  its  politics  were  high  toned 
of  the  Pickering  School. 

Mr.  Kellogg  commanded  an  independent  rifle  corps,  which 
was  ordered  into  service  in  1812  or  1813.  This  company  was 
at  the  battle  of  Queenston,  and  were  among  the  few  brave 
militia  who  crossed  the  river.  This  company  behaved  with 
great  gallantry  during  the  engagement,  and  received  the  ap¬ 
probation  and  thanks  of  the  commanding  general. 

Lieutenant  William  Gardner,  and  Ensign  Grosvenor  were 
his  associates.  The  rank  and  file  were  mostly  from  Manlius 
Village  and  vicinity. 

After  a  lapse  of  time,  James  Beardsley  was  admitted  a  part¬ 
ner  with  Mr.  Kellogg,  who  afterwards  had  the  principal  man¬ 
agement  of  it. 

After  Mr.  Kellogg  retired  from  the  office,  Seneca  Hale  be¬ 
came  a  partner.  The  interest  in  the  office  wras  soon  after 
transferred  to  Daniel  Clark,  who  changed  the  name  to  “  Onon¬ 
daga  Herald,”  first  number  issued  October  28th,  1818.  It 
was  afterwards  called  “The  Times,”  published  weekly.  It 
w'as  continued  about  three  years,  after  which  the  “  Onondaga 
County  Republican”  Avas  edited  and  published  by  Thurlow 
Weed,  now  editor  of  the  Albany  Evening  Journal.  The  first 
number  was  issued  June  27th,  1821.  Mr.  Weed  continued 
his  paper  about  three  years.  The  “  Onondaga  Republican  was 
next  published  by  Laurin  Dewy,  first  number  issued  27th 
October,  1824.  The  “  Manlius  Repository”  succeeded  it 
and  reached  its  fifth  volume  under  the  direction  of  Luman  A. 
Miller,  and  for  a  time  under  Mr.  Stillson.  Mr.  Fonda  pub¬ 
lished  the  “  Onondaga  Flag”  a  very  short  time. 

The  only  stream  of  water  of  any  magnitude  in  this  town  is 


224 


ONONDAGA. 


the  Limestone  Creek,  which  runs  from  south  to  north  across 
its  whole  extent,  till  it  forms  a  junction  with  the  Chittenango, 
at  Matthews’  Mills.  Upon  this  stream  are  many  saw  mills 
and  grist  mills,  one  woolen  factory  and  two  cotton  factories, 
the  only  ones  of  the  kind  in  the  county.  It  may  he  said  of 
this  stream  as  of  many  others,  that  during  the  summer  months, 
the  quantity  of  water  passing  through  its  channel,  is  not  near 
as  great  as  it  was  twenty  years  ago,  owing  probably  to  the 
clearing  up  and  draining  of  numerous  little  swamps  at  its 
source,  which  once  acted  as  reservoirs,  and  fed  it  by  gradual 
drainage  during  the  heat  of  summer,  and  the  soil  is  not  as  re¬ 
tentive  of  moisture  since  it  has  been  cleared  as  it  was  when  in 
a  state  of  nature. 

There  are  two  incorporated  academies  in  town  for  male  and 
female  pupils,  both  enjoying  their  proper  proportion  of  the 
Literature  Fund,  and  subject  to  the  visitation  of  the  Regents 
of  the  University.  Considering  that  these  academies  are  lo¬ 
cated  in  country  villages,  they  are  well  sustained  by  the  com¬ 
munities  which  surround  them. 

There  are  twenty-four  school  districts  and  joint  districts  in 
town,  and  from  reports  of  Common  School  Superintendents, 
the  attention  which  is  paid  to  this  important  branch  of  edu¬ 
cation,  is  highly  creditable  to  the  inhabitants,  and  much  im¬ 
proved  within  the  last  few  years. 

Deep  Spring. — (Indian  name,  Tc-ungh-sat-a-yagh.) — This 
is  a  curiosity  which  once  possessed  considerable  notoriety.  It 
is  situated  on  the  county  line,  near  the  Seneca  Turnpike,  east 
from  Manlius  Village,  about  three  and  a  half  miles.  The 
cavity  is  circular,  about  sixty  feet  in  diameter  at  top,  drawing 
nearly  to  a  point  at  bottom,  tunnel  shapel,  and  about  thirty 
feet  deep.  A  copious  stream  of  water  issues  from  the  rock 
on  the  east  side,  except  in  seasons  of  severe  drought,  when  its 
size  is  much  diminished.  It  glides  along  the  bank,  from  half 
way  down  the  side,  and  looses  itself  at  the  bottom.  Large 
trees  have  grown  on  the  side,  forming  an  impenetrable  shade 
in  summer.  These  are  literally  covered  with  the  names,  and 
initials  of  names  of  persons  who  have  visited  it  from  the  time 


\ 


TOWNS.— MANLIUS. 


225 


of  its  first  discovery,  till  post  coaches  were  withdrawn  from 
the  road  ;  since  which  time,  visitors  have  been  far  less  frequent, 
and  now  have  almost  entirely  disappeared.  One  of  the  dates 
on  an  ancient  beech  tree,  is  1793.  The  Indian  path  from 
Oneida  to  Onondaga  passed  near  it,  as  did  the  first  laid  out 
road  through  the  county.  It  is  noted  on  all  the  old  maps, 
published  by  the  Surveyor  General,  and  was  the  starting 
place  of  all  the  old  surveys  of  the  Oneida  Reservation,  and 
was  a  noted  watering  place  for  persons  moving  to  the  western 
country,  as  well  as  for  those  who  settled  near  it.  Thousands 
visited  this  spring  in  early  times  as  a  curiosity,  and  to  taste 
its  pure  and  sparkling  water. 

It  has  been  often  related  by  an  Oneida  Indian  called  Peter, 
that  in  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  a  small  party  of 
Indians  surprised  six  white  men  at  this  spring,  who  had  de¬ 
scended  it  to  drink.  They  are  supposed  to  have  been  a  scout¬ 
ing  party  from  Fort  Schuyler.  They  were  much  frightened  at 
the  appearance  of  the  Indians,  who  found  them  perfectly  de¬ 
fenseless,  having  left  their  arms  on  the  bank  above.  As  the 
Indians  approached  for  the  same  purpose,  and  neither  mis¬ 
trusting  the  presence  of  the  other,  it  may  be  supposed  that 
both  parties  at  first,  were  not  a  little  surprised.  The  Indians, 
however,  having  every  advantage,  instantly  recovered  them¬ 
selves,  gave  a  terrific  yell,  encircled  the  brink  of  the  spring, 
and  as  the  terrified  soldiers  attempted  to  pass  them,  they  were 
struck  down  with  tomahawks  and  scalped.  This  catastrophe 
had  such  an  effect  upon  the  mind  of  Peter,  -who  was  one  of 
the  party,  that  it  never  ceased  to  haunt  him  while  he  lived. 
He  used  to  say  with  peculiar  emphasis,  “  It  is  the  only  deed 
I  ever  committed  which  the  Great  Spirit  has  never  forgiven 
me.”  At  the  time,  he  felt  so  much  remorse  that  he  buried 
his  shirt,  which  had  been  sprinkled  with  the  blood  of  one  of 
the  victims.  Many  tragic  scenes  have  undoubtedly  been  en¬ 
acted  in  this  vicinity,  for  it  was  no  uncommon  occurrence  to 
find  arrow  heads,  hatchets,  bullets,  bayonets  and  other  war¬ 
like  implements  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  this  spring. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  a  severe  battle  was  foucdit  there  be- 

O 

b  15 


226 


ONONDAGA. 


tween  the  whites  and  Indians  during  the  Revolution.  (See 
life  and  writings  of  De  Witt  Clinton,  by  W.  W.  Campbell, 
page  185.)  It  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Thomas  A.  Clark.  Wm. 
W.  Sayles  kept  a  tavern  near  it,  in  1794.  There  is  a  tradi¬ 
tionary  account  of  the  passage  of  a  detatchment  of  General 
Sullivan’s  army  through  the  Onondaga  country,  south  of  the 
Onondaga  castle.  It  is  said  that  a  sharp  skirmish  was  fought 
between  this  party  and  the  Onondagas.  near  La  Fayette,  where 
a  small  Indian  settlement  was  destroyed,  and  that  they  passed 
a  night  on  the  flat  near  the  deep  spring. 

During  the  period  of  the  early  settlement  of  the  country, 
foolish  and  infatuated  men  conceived  the  idle  notion  that  near 
this  spring,  large  treasures  of  gold  and  silver  had  at  some  pre¬ 
vious  time  been  secretly  buried.  Several  places  were  selected 
as  imagined  depositories  of  hidden  wealth.  Hundreds  of 
holes  were  dug  in  different  places  Avhere  their  mysterious  min¬ 
eral  rods  pointed  out  the  identical  spot  where  the  precious 
metals  were  hid.  Their  work  was  always  conducted  in  the 
night.  One  of  the  grand  secrets  of  their  art  was,  that  in 
digging,  the  person  at  work  must  not  look  from  the  place 
where  the  supposed  treasure  lay,  and  during  all  their  opera¬ 
tions  must  keep  the  most  profound  silence.  If  a  word  was 
spoken,  or  an  eye  lifted  from  the  spot,  the  treasure  was  sure 
to  vanish. 

Ice  Hole.— -There  is  a  large  cavity  in  the  rocky  ledge, 
north  of  the  residence  of  David  Moulter,  near  the  south-west 
corner  of  lot  sixty-nine,  which  becomes  filled  with  ice  during 
winter.  Owing  to  the  depth  at  which  the  congealed  mass  lies, 
(being  some  fifty  or  more  feet  below  the  surface,)  and  the 
mcky  precipice  facing  to  the  north,  the  sun  and  warm  weather 
make  but  a  faint  impression  upon  it  during  the  summer  sea¬ 
son.  Tavern  keepers  and  others  from  Manlius  Village,  in  old¬ 
en  times,  used  frequently  to  resort  to  it  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  the  cooling  crystal,  which  was  often  removed  in  large 
quantities,  for  use,  on  public  occasions.  Many  a  tumbler  of 
punch  has  been  cooled  on  fourth  of  July  celebrations  with  ice 
procured  from  this  cavern.  There  is  a  similar  “  lee  Hole" 


TO  WNS.— MANLIUS. 


227 

north-west  from  the  old  church,  east  of  Jamesville,  on  lot 
eighty-two,  some  sixty  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
where  ice  of  excellent  quality  may  be  always  obtained. 

Water  Falls.- — -There  are  two  considerable  falls  of  water 
in  this  town,  one  on  the  east  and  the  other  on  the  west  branch 
of  the  Limestone  Creek,  south  from  Manlius  Village,  about 
one  mile.  The  fall  on  the  east  branch  is  somewhat  larger  and 
affords  excellent  sites  for  mills  and  machinery,  and  has  been 
more  or  less  improved  since  the  first  settlement  of  the  town. 
Now  owned  and  occupied  by  Samuel  L.  Edwards,  Esq.  The 
channel  at  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  is  about  forty-five  feet 
broad,  and  the  breadth  of  the  rocky  chasm  below,  is  about 
one  hundred  and  sixty  feet;  the  waterfalls  somewhat  broken, 
about  sixty-five  feet,  and  above  the  falls,  the  rapids  fall  some 
twenty  feet  more,  making  in  all,  about  eighty-five  feet.  The 
chasm  widens  to  the  north-west.  The  banks  are  rocky  and 
precipitous,  formed  of  different  strata  of  limestone.  These 
falls  are  considerably  resorted  to  by  parties  of  pleasure  dux-ing 
the  summer  months. 

The  falls  on  the  wrnst  branch  of  the  Limestone,  are  nearly 
of  the  same  height  as  those  on  the  east  branch.  The  stream 
is  not  as  wide,  nor  does  as  much  water  flow  over  the  preci¬ 
pice.  It  is  a  place  of  considerable  resort  for  visitors,  for  pic¬ 
nic  parties,  and  frequently  for  large  religious  meetings. 

Green  Pond. — There  are  two  bodies  of  water  called  by 
this  name  in  the  town  of  Manlius,  three  and  a  half  miles  north 
from  the  village,  on  lot  fifty-six.  The  upper  one  is  nearly 
circular,  about  one  hundred  rods  in  diameter,  surrounded  by 
hills  vai’ying  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  feet  in  height.  In  some 
places  approaching  the  lake  abruptly ;  at  others,  with  a  beau¬ 
tiful  slope.  A  dense  evergreen  wood  skirts  it  on  all  sides,  the 
shadow  of  which  is  beautifully  reflected  from  the  soft  green 
mirror  like  appearance  of  the  water.  It  is  said  the  waters 
of  these  lakes  differ  from  those  of  Scotland,  Switzerland  and 
other  elevated  portions  of  Europe.  There,  the  surface  is  said 
always  to  present  a  bright  silver  like  appearance.  This  dif¬ 
ference  may  be  accounted  for,  in  the  different  qualities  of  the 


■228 


ONONDAGA. 


waters.  The  depth  of  the  lake  may  be  from  one  hundred  to 
two  hundred  feet.  Its  surface  is  about  six  feet  below  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  Eric  Canal.  There  are  deep  sinks  or  caverns  in 
the  surrounding  hills  in  all  directions,  varying  from  ten  to 
thirty  feet  in  depth.  These  hills  are  all  filled  with  gypsum, 
which  may  be  dug  at  any  place  in  any  quantity.  The  sides 
of  this  lake  are  formed  in  a  secondary  deposit  of  red  shale, 
covered  with  a  greenish  white  marl.  The  trees  that  have  fal¬ 
len  into  it  are  whitened  by  a  limelike  deposit.  The  bottom  is 
covered  with  a  dark  brown  marl,  and  the  waters  at  the  bottom 
are  said  to  be  highly  charged  with  sulphureted  hydrogen, 
without  any  saline  properties.  It  is  excavated  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  second  deposit  of  the  Onondaga  salt  group,  and 
the  red  shale  below  that  deposit.  This  lake  is  forty-four  feet 
above  the  level  of  Onondaga  lake,  and  is  of  importance,  show¬ 
ing  that  deep  excavations  exist  along  the  range  of  gypseous 
deposit,  and  that  the  excavation  of  Onondaga  valley  is  not 
an  anomalous  one.  Professor  Silliman,  in  one  of  his  journals, 
thus  speaks  of  this  lake :  “  The  bottom  is  a  grass  green  fer¬ 
riferous  slate  ;  the  sides  white  shell  marl,  and  the  brim  black 
vegetable  mould ;  the  waters  perfectly  limpid.  The  whole 
appears  to  the  eye  to  be  a  rich  porcelain  bowl  filled  with  lim¬ 
pid  nectar.  But  to  the  taste  it  is  the  true  Harrowgate  water, 
and  readily  convinces  the  visitor  of  the  correctness  of  its 
name — Lake  Sodom.” 

The  shores  are  remarkably  bold.  There  is  no  inlet  above 
ground  to  this  lake,  and  but  a  very  small  outlet  at  the  east 
side,  which  connects  it  with  the  other  green  pond,  about  half 
a  mile  below.  There  are  several  kinds  of  fish  found  in  these 
ponds,  but  they  are  so  scarce  and  shy,  that  the  taking  affords 
but  little  sport;  various  aquatic  plants,  and  many  perfect  pet¬ 
rifactions  of  plants  and  leaves,  are  found  along  its  shore  .  It 
is  a  place  of  considerable  resort  in  the  summer  season,  and 
well  repays  the  visitant  for  his  pains.  The  lower  Green  Pond 
so  nearly  resembles  the  one  just  described,  that  a  description 
of  it  would  be  a  mere  repetition.  Dr.  L.  C.  Beck,  (Nat.  !iis. 
St.  N.  Y.)  thus  speaks  of  this  lake  :  “  Water  drawn  from  the 


TOWNS.  — MANLIUS. 


229 


depth  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  feet,  was  found  to  be 
strongly  charged  with  sulphureted  hydrogen.  On  being  af¬ 
terwards  tested,  it  blackened  silver  powerfully,  and  gave  co¬ 
pious  precipitates,  with  solutions  of  oxalates  of  ammonia  and 
muriate  of  barytes,  indicating  the  presence  of  sulphureted  hy¬ 
drogen  and  sulphate  of  lime.  Its  specific  gravity  was  scarcely 
above  distilled  water,  and  contained  not  even  a  trace  of  oxide 
of  iron.  Thus  we  have  here  a  spacious  sulphur  bath,  a  fact 
which  exhibits,  in  a  most  striking  manner,  the  extent  and 
power  of  the  agency  concerned  in  the  evolution  of  this  gas.” 

Mineral  Springs. — There  is  a  sulphur  spring  of  consid¬ 
erable  power,  a  short  distance  south  of  Manlius  Village.  It 
has  a  strong  surphurous  taste  ;  the  water  is  perfectly  limpid, 
emitting  a  strong  sulphurous  odor.  It  has  been  analyzed,  and 
is  said  to  contain  sulphureted  hydrogen,  a  small  portion  of 
carbonic  acid,  sulphate  of  soda,  sulphate  of  magnesia,  carbo¬ 
nate  of  iron  and  carbonate  of  lime,  and  is  considered  beneficial 
in  cutaneous  diseases  and  highly  diuretic.  Tufa  and  excel¬ 
lent  specimens  of  petrifactions,  are  found  in  the  vicinity  of 
this  spring. 

About  a  mile  north-west  of  Manlius  Village  are  three  springs 
very  near  each  other,  all  of  which  are  feebly  charged  with 
sulphureted  hydrogen  ;  have  also  a  slightly  saline  taste,  and 
contain  sulphate  of  magnesia.  Temperature  usually  about 
forty-eight  degrees  Fahrenheit.  A  milky  deposit  is  apparent 
where  the  stream  passes  off’.  Many  persons  are  said  to  have 
received  benefit  from  bathing  in  the  waters.  They  cleanse 
and  purify  the  skin,  and  are  considered  useful  in  many  cuta¬ 
neous  diseases.  They  have,  at  a  former  period,  been  consid¬ 
erably  resorted  to,  and  have  acquired  some  reputation  in  the 
vicinity.  Sometimes  called  Elk  Horn  Springs  and  Balsley’s 
Springs. 

According  to  the  census  of  1845,  Manlius  has  the  following 
statistics : — - 

Total  population,  5,602  ;  persons  subject  to  military  duty, 
520 ;  number  of  voters,  1,243 ;  aliens,  128  :  number  of  chil¬ 
dren  attending  Common  Schools,  1,150 ;  acres  of  improved 


230 


ONONDAGA. 


land,  20,483;  grist  mills,  7  ;  saw  mills,  14;  fulling  mills,  2; 
carding  machines,  2  ;  cotton  factories,  2  ;  iron  works,  1 ;  Ask- 
eries,  1  ;  clover  mill,  1  ;  tanneries,  4  ;  Churches — Baptist,  2  ; 
Episcopalian,  2  ;  Presbyterian,  2  ;  Methodist,  4  ;  Roman  Cath¬ 
olic,  1 ;  Academies,  2  ;  Common  Schools,  22  ;  Select  Schools, 
3;  taverns,  19;  stores,  14;  groceries,  21;  farmers,  633; 
merchants,  25  :  manufacturers,  15  ;  mechanics,  309  ;  lawyers, 
11 ;  clergymen,  16  ;  physicians,  9. 

Be  Witt. — Moses  De  Witt. — The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  a  descendant  from  an  ancient,  illustrious  and  honorable 
family  of  Holland,  who  at  an  early  period  emigrated  to  New- 
York,  a  branch  of  which  settled  in  Orange  County.  Moses  De 
Witt,  was  horn  on  the  15th  day  of  October,  1766,  in  the  town 
of  Deer  Park,  anciently  called  Peempack,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Neversink,  in  the  county  of  Orange.  His  father  was  Jacob 
Rutzen  De  Witt,  a  brother  of  the  mother  of  De  Witt  Clinton. 
The  family  mansion  of  the  De  Witts,  had  been  built  as  a  sort 
of  castle,  for  defense  against  the  Indians,  and  during  the  old 
French  war,  and  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  had  been  strong¬ 
ly  fortified  by  rows  of  palisades  and  other  defenses,  the  Avails 
being  of  stone,  and  of  immense  thickness.  It  was  occupied 
by  a  garrison  during  the  Revolution. 

Moses  De  Witt  received  a  part  of  his  early  education  with 
his  distinguished  counsin,  De  Witt  Clinton,  (being  two  years 
his  senior,)  under  the  instruction  of  Thomas  White,  an  Eng¬ 
lish  gentleman,  of  liberal  education,  and  an  excellent  teacher, 
with  whom  his  favorite  pupils  made  rapid  advances  in  their 
studies.  This  gentleman  was  always  particularly  attached  to 
his  early  friend  and  pupil,  Mr.  De  Witt ;  was  with  him  much 
of  his  life,  and  closed  his  eyes  in  death.  Moses  D.  Burnet  and 
Thomas  Rose,  of  Syracuse,  were  relatives  of  Moses  De  Witt. 

At  the  time  General  James  Clinton,  (who  was  an  uncle  of 
Moses  De  Witt,)  and  David  Rittenhouse,  Esq.,  were  appointed 
commissioners,  on  the  part  of  the  States  of  New-York  and 
Pennsylvania,  for  running  the  boundary  line  and  settling  the 
boundaries  between  the  two  States,  Moses  De  Witt  was  se- 


TOWNS.— DE  WITT.— MOSES  DE  WITT.  231 


lected  as  one  of  the  Surveyors,  to  assist  in  establishing  that 
line.  This  work  engaged  the  commissioners  about  three  years, 
during  which  time  young  Mr.  De  Witt  proved  himself  a  skil¬ 
ful  surveyor  and  engineer,  and  retired  from  that  service,  with 
the  approbation  and  high  encomiums  of  his  employers. 

When  the  Military  Tract  was  ordered  by  law  to  be  laid  out 
and  surveyed,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  principal  assistants 
of  the  Surveyor  General,  Simeon  De  Witt,  (his  uncle  who  had 
been  a  distinguished  engineer  in  the  army  of  the  Revolution,) 
in  plotting  and  laying  out  the  said  tract,  who,  with  Abraham 
Hardenburgh,  laid  out  and  surveyed  the  several  townships, 
and  afterwards  surveyed  and  subdivided  the  townships  into  lots, 
with  the  assistance  of  sundry  surveyors. 

For  his  important  services  to  the  State,  as  a  surveyor,  he 
received  several  thousand  acres  of  land,  scattered  throughout 
the  Military  Tract,  and  along  the  southern  tier  of  counties, 
bordering  on  Pennsylvania.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was 
considered  one  of  the  greatest  individual  landholders  in  west¬ 
ern  New-York.  ■ 

He  was  appointed  Surrogate  of  Herkimer  County,  at  its 
organization  in  1791 ;  was  appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  Herkimer,  at  the  same  time,  and  was  the  first  man  who 
exercised  the  duties  of  that  office  on  the  Military  Tract. 

In  1793,  he  was  appointed  a  Major  of  militia  with  Major, 
afterwards  General  Danforth ;  the  two  had  charge  of  a  bat¬ 
talion.  At  the  organization  of  Onondaga  County,  in  1794, 
he  was  appointed  a  Judge  of  the  Courts,  Surrogate  and  Jus¬ 
tice  of  the  Peace,  and  was  chosen  the  first  Supervisor  of  the 
town  of  Pompey,  in  April,  1794.  He  resided  on  lot  number 
three  of  Pompey,  (since  La  Fayette)  which  lot  had  been  drawn 
by  his  uncle,  General  James  Clinton,  and  he  also  purchased 
fifty  acres  adjoining,  in  the  present  town  of  De  Witt,  in  or¬ 
der  to  secure  a  valuable  water  power,  on  the  Butternut  Creek, 
where  he  had  contemplated  making  extensive  improvements. 
But  before  the  development  and  accomplishment  of  his  plans, 
his  hand  was  stayed.  He  was  cut  down  like  an  untimely 
flower  before  its  fragrance  had  been  shed,  or  its  beauty  and 


232 


ONONDAGA. 


excellence  admired.  He  was  arrested  in  liis  prosperous  ca¬ 
reer,  in  the  midst  of  activity  and  usefulness.  He  had  scarcely 
attained  the  age  of  manhood,  when  the  last  dread  summons 
called  him  from  the  flattering  prospects  which  were  before 
him  and  already  within  his  grasp,  to  scenes  of  higher  reward. 
He  died  at  his  residence,  south  of  Jamesville,  of  billious  fe¬ 
ver.  The  angel  of  death,  with  an  aim, 

l'  Sure  and  steady  as  the  eye  of  destiny,” 

claimed  him  for  his  own.  He  had  acquired  an  extensive  rep¬ 
utation  for  honesty,  integrity  and  virtue,  combined  with  a  rare 
capacity  and  talent  for  business.  The  few  who  yet  remember 
him,  speak  of  him  as  a  young  man  of  uncommon  promise,  and 
it  has  often  been  remarked,  that  “  in  him,  western  New-York 
lost  her  pride,  and  the  county  of  Onondaga,  her  ablest  man.” 
He  was  borne  to  his  grave  followed  by  an  immense  concourse 
of  citizens  and  friends,  leaving  a  reputation  unspotted,  and  a 
character  untarnished.  His  remains  were  buried  with  mili¬ 
tary  honors,  in  a  small  family  burying  ground,  about  a  mile 
south  of  Jamesville,  and  are  covered  with  a  marble  slab,  bear¬ 
ing  the  following  inscription  : — 

u  Here  lie  the  remains  of  Moses  De  Witt,  Major  of  Mili¬ 
tia,  and  Judge  of  the  County  Courts ;  one  of  the  first,  most 
active,  and  useful  settlers  in  the  county.  He  was  born  on  the 
15th  day  of  October,  176G,  and  died  on  the  15th  day  of  Au¬ 
gust,  1794,” — being  only  twenty-eight  years  of  age. 

The  same  stone  bears  this  further  inscription  :  “  Also  of  his 
brother  Egbert  De  Witt,  born  25th  of  April,  1768  ;  died  30th 
of  May,  1793. 

Jacob  R.  De  Witt,  Esq.,  died  Dec.  18th,  1821,  in  the  forty- 
sixth  year  of  his  age.” 

De  Witt. — This  town  was  originally  a  part  of  the  town¬ 
ship  of  Manlius,  and  was  set  off’  from  it  in  the  spring  of 
1835,  and  named  after  Moses  De  Witt,  Esq.  The  first  set¬ 
tler  in  this  town  was  Benjamin  Morehouse  from  Freder- 
icksburgh,  Duchess.  County,  New-York.  He  arrived  26th 
April,  1789,  with  a  wife  and  three  small  children,  following 
the  Indian  trail  from  Oneida  to  Onondaga.  Soon  after  his 


TOWNS.— DE  WITT. 


283 


arrival  he  erected  a  log  house  on  the  flat,  a  few  rods  west  of 
the  old  church,  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Manlius  Village. 
At  that  time  it  was  called  the  Kasoongkta  Flats ;  but  soon 
after  his  arrival,  it  received  the  name  of  Morehouse’s  Flats, 
by  which  name  it  was  for  a  long  time  known.  Mr.  More¬ 
house  here  opened  the  first  tavern  kept  in  the  county,  in  1790. 
From  his  dignified  deportment,  he  soon  received  the  distin¬ 
guished  sobriquet  of  Governor,  from  travelers  and  the  few 
surrounding  inhabitants.  Mrs.  Morehouse  is  supposed  to  be 
the  mother  of  the  second  white  child  born  in  this  county.  Sa¬ 
rah  Morehouse  was  born  at  her  father’s  residence  on  the  16th 
day  of  February,  1790,  and  is  now  living  a  maiden  lady  at 
Lockport,  Niagara  County.  Mr.  Morehouse’s  nearest  neigh¬ 
bors  were  Asa  Danforth  and  Comfort  Tyler,  at  Onondaga 
Hollow,  seven  miles  distant.  In  1791,  he  carried  a  plow¬ 
share  on  his  back  to  Westmoreland,  to  be  sharpened,  and 
while  the  blacksmith  was  doing  the  work,  he  proceeded  to  • 
Herkimer,  purchased  thirty  pounds  of  flour,  and  returned  on 
foot,  with  flour  and  plowshare  on  his  back.  This  was  the  first 
wheat  flour  introduced  into  his  family  after  their  first  arrival, 
except  a  small  quantity  brought  along  at  that  time.  This 
small  grist  of  flour  which  had  been  procured  at  so  much  la¬ 
bor,  from  necessity,  lasted  near  a  year.  The  lack  was  eked 
out  at  the  stump  mill. 

Jamesville  and  vicinity  wa,s  settled  during  the  years  from 
1790  to  1800,  by  Moses  De  Witt,  Daniel  Keeler,  Dr.  Hol¬ 
brook,  Jeremiah  Jackson,  William  Bends,  Stephen  Angel, 
Stephen  Hungcrford,  Jeremiah  and  James  Gould,  Roger  Mer¬ 
rill,  Caleb  Nortrup,  Benjamin  Sanford  and  others.  The  vil¬ 
lage  was  at  first  called  Sinai. 

Jeremiah  Jackson  erected  the  first  dwelling  entitled  to  the 
name  of  frame,  in  1797.  Joseph  Purdy  opened  the  first  black¬ 
smith’s  shop  about  the  same  time.  In  1798,  Matthew  Dum- 
frie  built  a  distillery,  malt  house  and  brewery,  and  manufac¬ 
tured  the  first  beer  and  whiskey  made  in  the  county.  Oliver 
Owen  erected  a  saw  mill  in  1795.  Mr.  Trowbridge  kept  the 
first  tavern  at  Jamesville,  in  1804,  afterwards  kept  by  David 


234 


ONONDAGA. 


Olmsted,  in  1806,  then  considered  the  best  tavern  west  of 
Utica.  Benjamin  Sanford  built  the  mills  in  1803.  Mr. 
Hungerford  started  clothing  works  about  the  same  time. 
“  The  Jamesville  Iron  and  Woolen  Factory”  was  chartered 
in  1809,  and  a  Post  Office  established  same  year,  Thomas  Rose, 
Post  Master.  Moses  D.  Rose  succeeded  him.  The  name  of 
Jamesville  was  adopted  at  the  time  the  Iron  and  Woolen  Fac¬ 
tory  was  incorporated ;  the  name  was  given  by  the  Legislature, 
and  was  first  published  and  proclaimed  at  a  great  fourth  of 
July  celebration,  held  at  Jamesville,  1810.  First  school- 
house  for  Jamesville  was  erected  east  of  the  village  in  1195, 
Polly  Hibbard,  Teacher,  succeeded  by  Susan  Ward.  The 
first  school  in  Jamesville,  was  in  1806. 

Congregational  Church  erected  in  1828 — Ministers,  Rev. 
Daniel  Marsh,  Rev.  Seth  J.  Porter,  Rev.  Messrs.  Beach, 
Smith,  Myrick,  Day,  Morse,  Buck,  Folts,  Lewis,  Terry,  Ham¬ 
lin  and  Vail.  Methodist  Society  erected  their  church  1831, 
Rev.  George  W.  Densmore  and  William  W.  Rundell,  Preach¬ 
ers  at  that  time. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church  edifice,  erected  1829,  Rev. 
Burton  H.  Hickox,  Missionary.  Sundry  clergymen  from 
Manlius,  Fayetteville  and  Syracuse,  have  officiated  there. 
The  parish  has  never  had  the  exclusive  services  of  a  clergy¬ 
man  for  any  stated  time. 

John  Post,  from  Utica,  was  a  merchant  one  mile  east  of 
Jamesville,  in  1802 ;  Robbins  &  Callighan,  1804 ;  Keeler, 
1805. 

Esquire  Eager  opened  a  law  office  at  Morehouse’s  Flats, 
at  an  early  day ;  Moses  D.  Rose  and  Luther  Badger  were 
students  in  his  office. 

Dr.  Holbrook  was  the  first  physician  at  Jamesville,  and 
was  the  first  physician  who  located  on  the  township,  1791. 
It  is  said,  the  Doctor  presided  at  the  first  public  meeting  held 
in  that  section  of  the  country,  convened  at  Morehouse’s  tav¬ 
ern,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  preliminary  measures  for  the 
division  of  Herkimer  County. 

Mr.  John  Youngs  settled  at  Orville,  1791,  and  was  there 


TOWNS.— DE  WITT. 


235 


alone  for  some  time ;  but  soon  inhabitants  settled  near  him. 
He  kept  the  first  tavern  in  that  part  of  the  town.  The  set¬ 
tlement  first  went  by  the  name  of  Youngsville.  Mr.  Youngs 
erected  the  first  frame  house  there — was  for  a  long  time  a  Jus¬ 
tice  of  the  Peace,  and  the  first  in  the  township  of  Manlius. 

The  falls  below  Jamesville  are  somewhat  interesting  as  a 
curiosity.  The  water  falls  about  thirty  feet  perpendicular ; 
the  breadth  of  the  creek  at  the  fall  is  about  forty  feet.  Its 
rocky  chasm  and  sublime  scenery,  connected  with  the  immense 
and  inexhaustible  beds  of  gypsum  and  water  lime,  and  the  ex¬ 
tensive  works  for  their  manufacture,  render  this  a  very  desi¬ 
rable  place  for  the  researches  of  the  geologist,  or  the  rambles 
of  the  tourist.  There  is  a  tradition  alive,  that  at  the  time  the 
French  colony,  located  a  little  south  of  Jamesville,  were  mas¬ 
sacred  ;  one  escaped,  and  was  pursued,  overtaken  and  killed, 
near  these  falls.  The  first  gypsum  discovered  in  the  township 
of  Manlius,  (now  in  De  Witt,)  was  on  lot  eighty-one,  in  1811. 
The  first  discovered  in  the  United  States  was  in  the  town  of 
Camillus,  1792.  (See  Camillus.)  It  had  previously  been 
brought  from  Nova  Scotia,  and  was  called  Nova  Scotia  plas¬ 
ter  ;  and  before  this,  it  had  been  brought  here  from  France 
and  Germany,  in  limited  quantities,  under  the  name  of  Plas¬ 
ter  of  Paris.  Dr.  Franklin  first  introduced  it  into  the  United 
States,  as  a  vegetable  stimulant.  Robert  Livingston  first  in¬ 
troduced  it  into  the  eastern  part  of  the  State  of  New-York, 
in  1805.  The  use  of  gypsum  as  a  dressing  for  vegetable  pro¬ 
ductions,  was  first  made  known  in  Germany,  about  the  }7ear 
1767.  Plaster  is  now  an  article  of  trade  which  brings  to  this 
county,  yearly,  a  large  amount  of  money.  It  is  sold  at  the 
mills,  ground,  for  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  ton  ;  and  de¬ 
livered  in  the  rock,  on  the  canal,  at  from  seventy-five  cents  to 
a  dollar  per  ton.  It  is  estimated  that  there  are  annually  sold, 
from  the  several  beds  in  Onondaga  County, from  eighteen  thou¬ 
sand  to  twenty  thousand  tons.  Water-lime  was  discovered  in 
this  town,  first  in  the  county,  1819,  or  ’20,  and  is  now  pre¬ 
pared  for  market,  in  large  quantities,  principally  in  the  towns 
of  Manlius  and  De  Witt. 


ONONDAGA. 


236 


Nathan  Beckwith,  in  sinking  a  well  about  a  mile  east  of 
Jamesvillc,  in  1807,  discovered  a  large  cavern.  It  has  been 
explored  to  some  extent  in  a  south-westerly  direction  from  the 
entrance  at  the  well.  The  depth  at  the  entrance  of  the  ca¬ 
vern,  may  be  about  twenty  feet ;  height  of  the  cavern  at  the 
entrance,  about  seven  feet;  width  near  five  feet.  These  di¬ 
mensions  continue  six.  or  eight  rods,  when  the  space  becomes 
contracted  to  a  width  just  sufficient  for  a  single  person  to  pass 
through.  It  soon  becomes  broader.  The  size  is  very  far  from 
being  uniform,  the  top  in  some  places  being  not  more  than 
three  or  four  feet  from  the  bottom.  Dog-tooth  spar,  stalactites 
and  stalagmites,  are  numerous.  A  small  stream  of  water  runs 
along  the  bottom.  The  man  who  dug  the  well,  while  in  the 
act  of  drilling  a  hole  of  some  ten  or  twelve  inches,  his  drill 
suddenly  sunk  into  the  cavity  up  to  the  bulge.  Upon  with¬ 
drawing  the  drill  a  strong  current  of  air  came  up  and  contin¬ 
ued  until  the  hole  was  sufficiently  enlarged  for  the  purposes 
of  a  well.  The  stream  of  air  would  instantly  extinguish  a 
lighted  candle,  and  after  it  was  enlarged,  would  keep  coals 
alive  and  in  a  glow.  A  melancholy  circumstance  is  connect¬ 
ed  with  the  discovery  of  this  cave.  A  young  gentleman  and 
lady,  residing  in  Cazenovia,  and  newly  married,  came  out  on 
a  pleasure  ride  to  see  the  cave.  It  was  on  a  very  warm  day, 
in  the  month  of  August.  They  descended  into  the  cave  and 
remained  there  near  three  hours.  They  became  completely 
chilled ;  both  were  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  both  died  within 
one  week  from  the  day  they  entered  the  cave.  The  entrance 
is  now  closed,  so  that  there  is  no  admittance  to  it. 

There  is  another  cave,  about  tAvo  miles  west  of  Jamesville, 
on  the  farm  of  the  late  Mr.  .Brown,  which  is  several  hundred 
feet  deep,  and  which  has  never  been  thoroughly  explored.  The 
opening  from  the  top  is  through  a  fissure  about  three  feet 
broad  by  eight  feet  long.  After  descending  some  twenty  feet 
there  is  an  extensive  opening  to  the  great  valley  below.  It  is 
supposed  this  cave  extends  all  along  the  great  ledge  of  lime¬ 
stone  rock,  from  the  western  part  of  De  Witt,  nearly  to  James- 
ville.  The  ledge  is  usually  about  two  hundred  feet  high.  The 


TOWNS.— DE  WITT. 


237 


cave  itself  is  a  great  singularity  if  not  curiosity,  and  its  ex¬ 
ploration  might  lead  to  interesting  discoveries.  There  is  a  tra¬ 
dition  that  at  the  time  Col.  Van  Sehaick  invaded  the  Onon¬ 
daga  country,  in  1779,  the  native  women  took  refuge  in  this 
cave  till  the  former  had  retired  and  left  their  nation  free  from 
danger. 

Yvhen  the  first  settlements  were  made  at  Onondaga,  this 
cave  and  the  vicinity  became  an  early  object  of  attraction.  It 
was  reported  and  generally  believed  that  a  silver  mine  existed 
in  the  neighborhood,  which  belief  was  based  upon  the  follow¬ 
ing  facts  :  At  the  time  this  cave  was  first  made  known  to  the 
settlers,  tools  which  had  been  used  for  mining  purposes  were 
found  at  its  mouth,  and  also  a  bar  of  solid  silver,  two  inches 
square  and  eighteen  inches  long,  having  a  point  of  steel.  It 
is  also  reported  that  a  kettle  of  money  was  found  about  twenty 
rods  from  the  cave,  which  was  supposed  to  have  been  coined 
there.  While  workmen  were  engaged  in  excavating  a  trench 
near  the  house  of  Dr.  Baldwin,  for  the  purpose  of  conducting 
water,  they  were  saluted  by  a  stranger  passing  along  the  road, 
who  told  them  that  not  many  feet  from  the  spot  where  they 
were  then  a, t  work,  lay  the  skeleton  of  a  man,  and  remaiked 
that  whoever  owned  that  land  should  never  part  with  it,  for  it 
contained  treasures  they  knew  not  of.  In  the  progress  of 
their  work,  they  discovered  the  remains  of  the  man,  but  the 
treasure  has  never  been  found.  For  several  years  the  neigh¬ 
borhood  was  explored  by  money-seekers,  with  torch-lights  by 
night,  but  nothing  of  consequence  beyond  what  has  been  men¬ 
tioned,  has  come  to  light. 

Green  Pond. — About  one  mile  and  a  half  west  from  the 
village  of  Jamesville,  in  this  town,  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most 
singularly  located  bodies  of  water  in  Western  New-York.  It 
is  situated,  as  it  were,  in  a  vast  natural  well  or  cavern.  The 
banks  are  composed  of  different  strata  of  limestone  ;  the 
southern  and  western  portions,  are  nearly  perpendicular,  and 
in  many  places,  project  over  the  ground  below.  The  northern 
portion  is  not  as  steep,  but  it  is  too  much  so  to  be  easily  ac¬ 
cessible.  These  banks  are  over  one  hundred  feet  high,  from 


238 


ONONDAGA. 


the  surface  of  the  water,  and  are  richly  decked  on  all  sides 
with  evergreen  shrubs  ;  the  forms  of  which  are  beautifully  re¬ 
flected,  from  the  soft,  green,  mirror-like  surface  of  the  waters 
which  they  surround.  The  shape  of  this  lake  is  circular,  and 
about  sixty  rods  in  diameter.  It  has  no  outlet,  but  upon  the 
eastern  side,  is  a  low  marshy  ground,  through  which  the  water 
might  flow,  but  does  not.  From  the  brink  of  the  lake,  the 
shore  in  many  places  is  perpendicular,  apparently  shelving  be¬ 
neath,  and  every  where  extremely  abrupt,  except  on  the  east. 
The  interior  of  this  vast  basin  is  lined  with  a  greenish  white 
marl ;  and  trees  which  have  fallen  into  it,  are  whitened  there¬ 
by.  In  several  places  near  the  centre,  a  lead  has  been  low¬ 
ered,  by  one  hundred  yards  of  line,  without  reaching  bottom, 
and  within  fifty  feet  of  the  shore,  the  water  is  over  a  nundred 
feet  deep.  The  water  towards  the  bottom,  is  highly  charged 
with  sulphureted  hydrogen,  and  is  usually  at  an  even  temper¬ 
ature,  of  about  forty-eight  degrees  Fahrenheit.  Although  the 
water  at  the  surface  has  no  very  disagreeable  taste,  yet,  when 
drawn  from  any  considerable  depth,  it  is  scarcely  endurable. 
With  this  singular  locality  is  connected  an  Indian  tradition, 
which  gave  rise  to  its  aboriginal  name,  which  is  still  preserved 
among  the  Onondagas.  The  Indian  path,  leading  from  Onei¬ 
da  to  Onondaga,  passed  in  former  times  along  the  bank  of 
this  pond.  Here  an  Indian  womal  lost  her  child  in  a  mar¬ 
vellous  manner,  and  in  order  to  have  it  restored  to  her  again, 
made  application  to  the  u  Prophet  ”  for  advice.  He  told  her 
the  wicked  spirit  had  taken  her  child  from  her,  but  if  she 
would  obey  his  injunctions,  the  Great  Spirit  would  take  charge 
of  her  child,  and  it  would  be  safe,  although  it  could  not  be  re¬ 
stored. 

In  the  autumn  of  every  year,  the  woman  and  her  husband, 
and  after  them  their  children,  were  required  to  cast  a  quanti¬ 
ty  of  tobacco  into  the  pond,  as  an  oblation  for  the  spirit’s  guar¬ 
dian  care.  This  office  was  religiously  performed,  and  was 
continued  till  after  the  first  settlement  of  the  white  people  at 
Onondaga  ;  since  which  it  has  been  discontinued.  The  name 


TOWNS.— DE  WITT. 


239 


given,  on  account  of  this  circumstance,  was  Kai-yah-kooh, 
signifying,  satisfied  with  tobacco. 

Messina  Springs. — These  springs,  three  in  number,  and 
twenty  feet  apart,  are  situated  about  three  and  a  half  miles 
east  of  Syracuse.  The  name  was  .given  spontaneously  by  the 
inhabitants,  in  the  vicinity,  in  1835,  on  account  of  its  conti¬ 
guity  to  Syracuse,  carrying  out  the  coincidence  of  locality,  of 
the  places  bearing  the  same  name  in  Sicily.  They  are  loca¬ 
ted  on  the  farm  of  Dr.  David  Merrill.  It  is  believed  they  are 
inexhaustible,  and  the  waters,  so  far  as  observation  has  been 
extended,  are  unchanging.  They  emerge  from  a  limestone 
rock,  on  the  surface  of  which,  are  found  specimens  of  calca¬ 
reous  substances.  The  temperature  is  uniformly  fifty  degrees 
Fahrenheit.  The  water  is  strongly  impregnated  with  sul¬ 
phurous  particles,  yet  not  very  highly  charged  with  gas.  Ex¬ 
posure  to  the  atmosphere  for  a  short  time,  gives  it  a  milky  ap¬ 
pearance,  no  doubt  in  consequence  of  the  decomposition  of 
the  sulphureted  hydrogen,  and  the  subsidence  of  some  of  the 
less  soluble  salts.  The  whitish  crust,  usually  found  near  springs 
of  this  class,  is  observable  here,  and  the  tufa  so  abundantly 
met  with,  undoubtedly  owes  its  formation  to  waters  similarly 
constituted.  The  waters  from  these  springs  are  used  with 
beneficial  results,  in  many  cases  of  disease,  especially  in  those 
of  the  skin.  The  springs  were  discovered  by  Mr.  Lewis  Sweet¬ 
ing,  some  fifty  years  since  ;  are  easily  accessible  from  all  parts 
of  the  country.  There  is  a  convenient  house  near,  which  was 
erected  1833,  where  are  cold  and  warm  baths,  and  other  ad¬ 
vantages  for  health.  Invalids  are  furnished  with  comfortable 
board  and  lodging,  and  medical  advice,  by  Dr.  Merrill. 

The  first  religious  society  organized  in  this  town,  or  the 
township  of  Manlius,  was  under  the  following  style  and  title : 
“ First  Presbyterian  or  Church  of  Bloomingvale,”  (one 
mile  south  of  Jamesville)  “  under  the  care  of  the  General  As¬ 
sembly  of  American  Presbyterian  Divines,  composed  of  pro¬ 
fessors  of  the  Christian  religion  of  the  townships  of  Manlius 
and  Pompey,  organized  at  the  house  of  Daniel  Keeler,  29th 
December,  1795.  Daniel  Keeler,  Comfort  Tyler,  Jeremiah 


240 


ONONDAGA. 


Gould,  William  Hasken,  Captain  Joseph  Smith  and  John 
Young,  Trustees  thereof,  &c.,  Jeremiah  Jackson,  presiding.” 
The  next  was  the  “  Union  Congregational  Society ,”  at  More¬ 
house's  Flats.  It  was  organized  and  incorporated  under  that 
style  and  title,  in  September,  1805.  The  society  erected 
their  church  edifice  in  1800,  and  finished  it  in  1809.  The 
following  ministers  have  officiated  there  either  statedly  or  oc¬ 
casionally  :  Pev.  Messrs.  Atwater,  Davenport,  Phelps,  John¬ 
son,  Chadwick,  Harrison,  Marsh,  Cutler  and  Leavenworth. 
The  society  were  very  much  embarrassed  by  the  building  of 
their  edifice,  and  finally  suffered  it  to  be  sold  under  a  decree 
of  the  Chancellor,  for  considerable  less  than  enough  to  satisfy 
the  demand  against  it,  and  it  is  now  fast  going  to  decay.  It 
is  at  present  used  as  a  barn. 

The  house  of  worship  at  Orville,  was  erected  in  1819,  by 
“  Tlie  Orville  Presbyterian  Society ,”  (Congregational.) 

Post  Office  established  at  Orville,  1814.  Name  of  the  vil¬ 
lage  then  changed  from  Youngsville  to  Orville  ;  and  when  the 
town  of  De  Witt  was  erected,  the  name  of  the  post  office  was 
changed  to  De  Witt.  Zebulon  Ostrom,  the  first  Supervisor ; 
William  Eager,  Town  Clerk ;  William  Eager,  David  G.  Wil¬ 
kins,  Adam  Ilarrowen,  Justices  of  the  Peace.  Esquire  Eager 
was  the  first  lawyer  who  located  in  this  town,  then  Manlius, 
and  Dr.  Holbrook  the  first  physician. 

According  to  the  last  census,  we  have  the  following  statis¬ 
tics 

Number  of  inhabitants,  2,876;  number  subject  to  military 
duty,  267  ;  number  of  voters,  645  ;  number  of  aliens,  98  ;  num¬ 
ber  of  paupers,  27  ;  children  attending  common  schools,  705; 
acres  of  improved  land,  13,076  ;  grist  mills,  3  ;  saw  mills,  2  ; 
fulling  mills,  1 ;  carding  machines,  3  ;  tanneries,  1 ;  Church¬ 
es — Episcopal,  1  ;  Presbyterian,  1 ;  Congregational,  2 ;  Me¬ 
thodist,  3;  Dutch  Reformed,  1;  common  schools,  15;  tav¬ 
erns,  6  ;  stores,  3  ;  groceries,  6  ;  farmers,  282  ;  merchants,  6 ; 
manufacturers,  3 ;  mechanics,  110 ;  clergymen,  6 ;  physi¬ 
cians,  7 ;  lawyers,  2. 


TOWNS P  O  M  P  E  Y . 


241 


Pompey. — This  was  one  of  the  original  towns,  formed  at 
the  first  organization  of  the  county,  in  1794,  and  number  ten 
of  the  Military  Townships.  At  that  period  it  comprised  the 
townships  of  Pompey,  Fabius  and  Tully,  with  that  part  of 
the  Onondaga  Reservation,  lying  south  of  the  Great  Genesee 
Road,  and  east  of  Onondaga  Creek.  The  boundaries  and 
area  of  this  town,  have  been  materially  diminished  since  the 
period  of  its  first  organization ;  so  that  at  the  present  time,  • 
it  contains  but  sixty-eight  lots  of  the  one  hundred,  as  laid  out 
in  the  original  township.  This  township  obtained  great  ce¬ 
lebrity  abroad,  at  a  very  early  period,  and  was  principally  set¬ 
tled  by  people  from  New-England,  many  of  whom  took  up 
their  residence  here,  while  the  township  was  a  part  of  the 
town  of  Mexico,  Herkimer  County.  Mr.  John  Wilcox  was 
the  first  white  settler  on  the  Township,  who  came  out  in  the 
spring  of  1789,  with  an  Indian  chief  from  Oneida,  for  the 
purpose  of  exploring  the  country.  He  made  selection  of 
the  lot  on  which  he  settled,  known  as  the  Haskins  farm,  two 
miles  north  of  La  Fayette  village.  Here  was  an  extensive 
Indian  orchard,  and  with  a  view  to  its  improvement,  Abel  01- 
cutt  came  out  the  same  spring,  and  made  arrangements  for 
pruning  it.  He  spent  his  nights  at  the  Onondaga  Castle, 
thr|e  miles  distant,  there  being  no  white  people  nearer  than 
Danforth’s  or  Morehouse’s.  He  lodged  in  the  cabin  of  Ca- 
whicdota.  In  the  prosecution  of  his  labors  in  pruning,  he 
was  surprised  that  in  the  center  of  each  and  every  tree  was  a 
collection  of  small  brush,  about  the  size  of  a  bushel  basket. 
Wondering  at  the  singularity  of  such  a  circumstance,  he  in¬ 
quired  of  his  Indian  friend  and  host  the  cause,  who  explained 
after  the  following  manner :  He  said,  that  after  the  war  of 
the  Revolution,  the  Indian  settlement  at  that  place  was  aban¬ 
doned,  in  consequence  of  the  destruction  of  the  corn  fields, 
and  a  part  of  the  great  orchard,  by  Col.  Van  Schaick,  in 
1779  ;  that  the  Onondagas  had  become  completely  discouraged, 
in  consequence  of  the  severe  losses  they  had  sustained  during 
the  war  ;  consequently  the  Indians,  since  the  war,  had  not  oc¬ 
cupied  or  cultivated  any  of  their  lands  in  that  quarter,  and 

b  16 


242 


ONONDAGA. 


the  brush  he  had  found  collected  in  the  apple-trees,  was  the 
work  of  bears,  who  ascended  the  trees  in  autumn,  gathering 
in  the  slender  branches  loaded  with  apples,  with  their  paws, 
leisurely  devouring  the  fruit,  at  the  same  time  depositing  the 
branches  under  them,  between  the  larger  diverging  limbs,  for 
a  more  comfortable  ^seat.  Sometime  after  Mr.  Wilcox  had 
settled  in  his  new  place  of  abode,  his  harvests  had  been  abun¬ 
dant,  and  his  stacks  of  hay  and  wheat  numerous ;  (for  as  yet, 
he  had  no  barns,)  every  thing  seemed  to  prosper  in  his  hands, 
but  lo,  in  a  single  night  his  cherished  hopes  were  blasted,  for 
some  ruthless  hand  had  lighted  the  torch,  and  applied  it  with 
complete  fatality  to  the  gathered  treasures  of  the  year.  Ho 
awoke  in  the  morning  only  to  behold  the  desolation,  and  the 
smoking  ruins  of  his  labors,  his  sustenance  and  wealth.  The 
Indians  were  suspected  as  guilty  of  the  outrage,  and  com¬ 
plaint  was  at  once  made  to  the  principal  chief  at  Onondaga, 
who  upon  investigation,  remarked  to  Mr.  Wilcox  with  the 
most  perfect  non  chalance ,  without  palliation  or  denial,  “  You 
dig  up  no  more  dead  Indian,  no  more  will  your  stacks  be 
burned.”  The  admonition  wms  sufficient,  for  although  it  had 
been  a  common  practice  to  rob  Indian  graves,  for  the  brass 
kettles  and  trinkets  buried  with  the  bodies ;  it  was  from  this 
time  discontinued,  and  the  harvests  of  the  farmers  were 
henceforth  unmolested. 

The  first  settlers  in  the  present  town  of  Pompey,  were  Eb- 
enezer  Butler,  from  Harrington,  Connecticut,  who  located  on 
lot  number  sixty-five,  in  1792.  His  brother,  Jesse  Butler, 
and  Jacob  Hoar,  came  on  in  the  spring  of  the  same  year. 
Sally  Hoar  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  this  town,  and 
Orange,  son  of  Jesse  Butler,  the  first  male  child.  Ebenezer 
Butler  died  in  1829  ;  he  has  descendants  still  living  in  Ohio. 
Directly  after  these  first,  came  James  Olcott,  True  Worthy 
and  Selah  Cook,  Noadiah  and  Epiphas  Olcott,  the  Holbrooks, 
Jeromes,  Hibbards,  Ilinsdales,  Messingers,  Westerns,  Allens, 
Burrs  and  others,  so  that  neighborhoods  began  to  be  formed 
in  many  places,  as  early  as  1793  and  1794.  The  first  settlers 
obtained  flour  from  Whitestown,  many  of  whom  went  there  on 


TOWNS.— POMPEY. 


243 


horseback  to  mill,  and  some  on  foot.  True  Worthy  Cook  took  a 
bushel  of  wheat  on  his  hack,  to  Herkimer,  and  brought  back 
the  flour,  and  Jacob  Iloar  brought  his  seed  potatoes,  half  a 
bushel,  on  Lis  back  from  Whitestown  to  Pompey  Hill.  The 
corn  made  use  of  in  families,  was  pounded  in  stump  mortars, 
and  one  good  stump  mill  answered  for  a  whole  neighborhood. 
Marketing  and  trade  was  mostly  done  at  Whitestown,  old  Fort 
Schuyler  and  Herkimer,  and  the  transportation  was  mostly 
done  by  ox  teams,  in  the  winter  season.  The  first  town  meet¬ 
ing  for  Pompey,  was  held  at  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Butler, 
April  1st,  1794,  Moses  De  Witt  was  chosen  Supervisor,  and 
Hezekiah  Olcott,  Town  Clerk;  Allen  Beach,  Wm.  Haskins, 
George  Catlin  and  Ebenezer  Butler,  Jr.,  Assessors;  Thomas 
Olcott,  Jeremiah  Gould  and  John  Lamb,  Commissioners  of 
Highways.  A  special  town  meeting  was  held,  20th  Septem¬ 
ber,  1794,  at  the  house  of  Ebenezer  Butler,  at  which  Wm. 
Haskins  was  chosen  Supervisor,  in  place  of  Moses  DeWitt, 
deceased.  The  second  annual  town  meeting  was  held  at  Ebe¬ 
nezer  Butler’s  tavern,  7th  of  April,  1795.  The  first  resolu¬ 
tion  passed  by  this  meeting  is  in  the  following  words,  “Voted 
that  the  mode  of  choosing  Supervisor  and  Clerk  be,  to  speak 
and  mark  against  his  name,  and  the  remainder  by  nomination.” 
Ebenezer  Butler  was  chosen  Supervisor,  and  Hezekiah  Olcott, 
Town  Clerk.  At  this  meeting  it  was  voted  that  “hogs  be 
free  commoners,”  and  “that  a  bounty  of  five  dollars  be  paid 
for  the  scalp  of  any  full  grown  wolf.”  At  the  third  annual 
town  meeting  held  at  Butler’s,  1796,  Ebenezer  Butler  was 
chosen  Supervisor,  and  Hezekiah  Olcort,  T  wn  •  lerk.  For 
several  years,  town  meetings  were  held  at  Manoah  Pratt’s, 
and  John  Lamb  was  chosen  Supervisor.  Afterwards,  town 
meetings  were  again  held  on  the  Hill,  until  lately,  theyr  have 
been  held  at  Pompey  Center. 

The  first  religious  society  organized  in  the  town  of  Pom¬ 
pey,  and  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  when  it  comprised  the 
whole  Military  Tract,  was  under  the  title  of  the  “First  Pres- 
byteri m  society  < th  ■  1  n  of  !'•  n  Kith  June,  1794. 
Ebenezer  Butler,  Jr.,  and  Allen  Beach,  presided  at  the  meet- 


244 


ONONDAGA. 


ing,  which  was  held  at  Mr.  Butler’s  tavern.  Moses  De  Witt, 
Ozias  Burr  and  Ebenezer  Butler,  were  chosen  Trustees.  The 
same  year,  29th  December,  1794,  the  first  Presbyterian  soci¬ 
ety  was  formed  at  Scipio,  Silas  Holbrook,  Zeeb  Taylor,  John 
Richardson,  Daniel  Mark,  Benjamin  Tracy  and  Abram  French 
Trustees.  Next  year,  September  22d,  1795,  the  Baptist  Church 
in  Scipio,  was  formed,  David  Irish,  Thomas  Lapum,  Asa  Har¬ 
ris,  Jeremiah  Bishop,  Jr.,  Alexander  Weeks  and  Timothy 
How,  Trustees.  Others  were  organized  in  different  parts  of 
the  county  soon  after.  The  first  house  of  worship  in  town, 
Avas  built  at  “  Butler's  [Pompey)  Ilill”  of  logs,  about  the  year 
1798.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Robins,  a  missionary  from  Connecticut, 
first  preached  at  Pompey  Hill,  1793,  and  assisted  to  organize 
the  Church,  1794.  Rev.  Hugh  Wallace  was  the  first  settled 
preacher — a  Congregationalism  Mr.  Wallace  organized  “  The 
First  Religious  Congregational  Society,”  of  the  toAvn  of  Pom¬ 
pey,  8th  April,  1800.  Ebenezer  Butler,  Jr.,  Manoah  Pratt, 
John  Jerome,  Timothy  Cossit,  Daniel  Dunham,  and  John  Red¬ 
der,  Trustees.  They  used  to  meet  in  barns,  houses,  and  at 
school  houses.  A  Union  Congregational  Society,  was  formed 
near  Capt.  Moltrops,  Pompey,  May  18th,  1809.  Trustees — 
Manoah  Pratt,  True  W.  Cook,  Joseph  Wadsworth,  Josiah 
Holbrook,  Benjamin  Da\ds  and  William  Dean.  Rev.  Joseph 
Gilbert,  Rev.  Hugh  Wallace  and  Rev.  Mr.  Rawson,  preached 
in  this  town  during  the  years  from  1793  to  1808.  After¬ 
wards,  the  Rev.  Joshua  Leonard,  who  had  charge  of  the  Acad¬ 
emy,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Chadwick  and  Rev.  Mr.  Barrows.  In 
1817,  the  present  house  of  worship  was  erected,  on  Pompey 
Hill,  and  consecrated  first  Sunday  in  January,  1818.  Soon 
after,  a  Baptist  house  of  worship  was  put  up,  and  a  Metho¬ 
dist,  and  more  recently,  a  society  of  Campbellites  have  been 
organized.  “  The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Society  in  the 
tov'n  of  Pompey,”  organized  1810.  Rev.  James  Kelsey  pre¬ 
sided,  Aaron  Chapin  acted  as  Clerk.  Reuben  Clark,  Thom¬ 
as  Grimes,  Enoch  Wilcox,  Joel  Canfield,  Chester  Truesdale 
and  William  O’Farrell,  Trustees.  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
Pompey,  organized  at  the  house  of  Phineas  Barns,  James 


TOWNS.— POMPEY. 


245 


Scoville,  Phineas  Barns,  Shubal  Safford,  Simeon  Sutherland 
and  Luther  Buel,  Trustees.  Zion  Methodist  society  organized 
at  Delphi,  January  22d,  1822,  and  Central  Congregational 
society,-  Green’s  Corners,  5th  Feb.,  1822 — Eli  Hubbard,  Gil¬ 
bert  Jackson,  Roswell  Sutton,  Daniel  Candee,  Jr.,  and  Seth 
White,  Trustees.  A  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  was  organ¬ 
ized  iu  1823.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Rolf,  a  Roman  Catholic  minis¬ 
ter,  officiated  in  this  town  in  1836,  and  James  O’Donnel,  an 
Augustinian  afterwards.  Mr.  David  Dodge  and  family,  are 
the  principal,  if  not  the  only  persons  of  this  denomination  in 
town.  He  has  a  private  chapel  in  his  house,  in  which  the  dai¬ 
ly  worship  of  his  household  is  conducted,  and  mass  and  other 
offices  of  devotion  are  performed  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  every 
month,  by  a  Roman  Catholic  priest. 

The  first  lawyer  who  settled  in  this  town  was  Samuel  Miles 
Hopkins,  who  made  but  a  short  stay,  and  boarded  at  the  house 
of  Oliver  Sweet.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Geneseo  and  be¬ 
came  quite  a  distinguished  man.  Daniel  Wood,  Esq.,  next 
settled  as  a  lawyer  on  Pompey  Hill,  about  the  year  1800. 
Victory  Birdseye,  Esq.,  settled  as  a  lawyer  in  1807.  Daniel 
Gott,  Esq.,  afterwards. 

Dr.  Samuel  Beach,  first  physician  in  town,  1798.  Dr.  Jo- 
siah  Colton  settled  two  miles  east  of  Pompey  Hill,  1801.  Dr. 
Deodatus  Clark  practiced  medicine  a  short  time  in  this  town. 
He  died  not  long  since,  at  Oswego,  aged  ninety  years.  Dr. 
Tibballs  came  in  soon  after  and  settled  on  the  Hill,  and  passed 
all  the  prime  of  his  life  there.  The  first  school  teacher  was 
Mr.  J.  Gould.  The  first  person  who  taught  any  thing  beyond 
the  rudiments  of  an  English  education,  was  Mr.  James  Robin¬ 
son,  who  taught  the  classics  and  higher  English,  at  the  Hill, 
in  1805,  1806,  1807.  Schools  in  this  town  have  taken  an 
elevated  stand,  owing  mainly  to  the  importance  attached  to 
instruction,  by  the  New  England  settlers,  who,  at  an  early 
day,  procured  the  erection  and  endowment  of  an  excellent 
Academy  at  Pompey  Hill,  1811.  In  1813,  the  commission¬ 
ers  of  the  Land  Office  were  directed  by  the  Legislature  to 
grant  letters  patent  to  the  Trustees  of  Pompey  Academy,  and 


246 


ONONDAGA. 


their  successors  in  office,  the  fee  simple  of  lot  number  fifteen, 
in  the  township  of  Oamillus,  Onondaga  County,  with  the  privi¬ 
lege  to  sell  and  invest  the  proceeds  in  landed  security;  and 
appropriate  the  interest,  arising  from  such  investment,  to  the 
support  and  maintenance  of  instruction  in  said  Academy,  from 
which  a  fund  of  about  four  thousand  dollars  was  created,  which 
with  the  annual  appropriations  from  the  Regents  of  the  Uni¬ 
versity,  enables  the  Trustees  of  this  institution  to  afford  am¬ 
ple  means  of  instruction,  to  all  who  may  desire  it,  at  a  rea¬ 
sonable  rate.  This  Academy  has  had  the  happy  effect  of  dis¬ 
seminating  intellectual  improvement,  much  more  generally  in 
its  vicinity,  than  it  possibly  could  have  been  without  the  aid 
of  this,  or  a  similar  institution.  The  first  mills  erected  in  this 
town  were  at  Pratt’s  Falls,  by  Messrs.  Pratt  and  Smith ;  a 
grist  mill  in  1798,  and  a  saw  mill  a  year  or  two  earlier. 

On  the  west  branch  of  the  Limestone  Creek,  near  the  mills 
of  the  Messrs.  Pratt,  about  two  and  a  half  miles  north-east 
of  Pompey  Hill,  is  a  remarkable  waterfall,  of  about  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  sixty  feet,  which  at  high  water,  presents  a  very  grand 
and  imposing  appearance.  This  fall  is  almost  perpendicular, 
yet  enough  broken  to  add  beauty  to  its  general  character. 
The  chasm  below  the  fall  is  narrow,  deep,  abrupt,  and  the  sides 
much  worn.  The  rock  is  brown  shale.  Several  years  ago  a 
young  woman  in  search  of  raspberries,  then  abundant  on  the 
brink  of  the  precipice,  near  where  the  water  takes  its  final 
leap,  fell  off  a  distance  of  about  sixty  feet,  before  encounter¬ 
ing  any  object  to  obstruct  her  fall.  At  this  distance,  she 
struck  upon  a  projecting  rock,  and  rolled  in  every  variety  of 
attitude,  over  one  hundred  feet  further ;  the  whole  distance 
from  the  place  from  which  she  fell,  to  the  place  at  which  she 
finally  landed,  and  from  which  she  was  taken  up,  was  ascer¬ 
tained  by  actual  measure,  to  be  over  one  hundred  and  seventy 
feet.  She  was  taken  up  senseless,  but  after  awhile  was  re¬ 
stored  to  consciousness ;  and  although  severely  bruised,  no 
hones  were  broken,  and  she  finally  recovered.  Another  young 
woman,  of  rather  romantic  turn  of  mind,  descended  a  perpen¬ 
dicular  part  of  the  precipice  of  some  twenty-five  feet,  and 


TO  W  N  S P  OMPEY. 


247 


when  discovered  by  her  companions,  who  formed  a  large  plea¬ 
sure  party,  she  was  very  composedly  walking  on  a  narrow 
shelf,  but  a  few  inches  broad,  with  a  yawning  abyss,  of  over  one 
hundred  feet  below,  and  a  projecting  cliff’  twenty  feet  above 
her.  After  considerable  exertion,  by  means  of  a  rope,  she 
was  recovered  in  safety,  much  to  the  joy  of  her  companions, 
although  for  herself  she  manifested  no  surprise  or  regret. 

Henry  Seymour,  Esq.,  built  a  wind  mill  on  Pompey  Hill  in 
1810  ;  it  proved  a  failure,  and  another  was  erected  soon  after, 
which  did  business  several  years.  It  was  built  mainly  for  his 
own  convenience  in  the  preparation  of  grain  for  distilling. 
Daniel  Wood,  Esq.,  was  the  first  Post  Master  at  Pompey  Hill, 
1811;  previously  the  place  went  by  the  name  of  Butler’s 
Hill. 

There  are  several  stone  quarries  in  this  town,  used  for  build¬ 
ing  purposes,  mostly  dark  shale,  which  are  not  considered  of 
the  most  durable  or  desirable  kind.  Among  these  are  found 
petrifactions  of  oyster,  clam  and  scollup  shells,  and  specimens 
of  trilobite,  and  other  extinct  species  of  Crustacea,  found  in 
the  earliest  fossiliferous  strata. 

There  is  one  Revolutionary  soldier,  Mr.  Conrad  Bush,  who 
resides  on  the  lot  for  which  he  served,  number  thirty-seven. 
He  came  upon  his  lot  in  1800,  and  had  to  eject  settlers,  who 
had  already  appropriated  it  to  themselves.  He  still  holds  the 
same  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  entire,  and  although  ninety- 
four  years  old,  (1848)  his  mind  is  clear,  and  his  natural  force 
unabated.  He  and  Thomas  Dixon,  of  La  Fayette,  and  Levi 
Bishop,  of  Manlius,  and  Jeptha  Lee,  of  Ithaca,  are  supposed 
to  be  the  last  and  only  survivors  of  Colonel  Lamb’s  regiment 
of  artillery,  formed  for  the  defense  of  the  New-York  frontier, 
in  1781.  Mr.  Bush  was  at  the  battle  of  Long  Island,  with  a 
company  of  Pennsylvania  militia.  He  was  also  at  the  battles 
of  Trenton  and  Princeton,  and  the  taking  of  Cornwallis ;  the 
stirring  scenes  of  which  he  delights  to  relate,  entering  into  all 
the  minutiae  with  the  fervor  and  zeal  of  youth.  He  states, 
that  at  the  time  his  regiment  was  discharged,  so  much  and 
often  had  they  been  disappointed  by  the  promises  of  Congress, 


248 


ONONDAGA. 


that  when  their  certificates  were  made  out,  for  their  individ¬ 
ual  shares  of  land,  a  large  majority  had  no  confidence  in  the 
allotment  of  these  bounties,  and  many  cried  out,  who  will  give 
a  pint  of  rum  for  mine  ?  Who  will  give  a  blanket  for  mine  ? 
A  great  many  sold  their  shares  for  the  merest  trifle.  But, 
says  he,  with  unmingled  satisfaction,  “  I  held  on  to  mine,  and 
I  am  well  oflf.”  Mr.  Bush  is  a  German  by  birth,  and  was  well 
known  to  General  La  Fayette,  who  recognized  him  on  his  visit 
to  this  country  in  1825.  He  held  a  sort  of  impromtu  secre¬ 
tary-ship  to  Timothy  Pickering,  in  cases  of  emergency.  This 
gentleman  always  sought  opportunities  to  acknowledge  his  re¬ 
gard  for  him. 

It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  rising  generation  to  be 
informed,  that  less  than  fifty-five  years  ago,  such  a  vehicle  as 
a  horse  wagon,  was  not  in  existence  in  this  town  or  county,  and 
the  visiting  was  done  mostly  in  winter  on  ox  sleds  ;  and  hap¬ 
py  and  rich  indeed  was  he  who  could  yoke  a  pair  of  oxen  of 
his  own,  make  his  way  through  the  woods  with  his  wife  and  a 
child  or  two  on  the  sled,  on  an  evening’s  visit  to  a  neighbor’s, 
several  miles  distant.  In  fact,  such  a  man  was  considered  in 
rather  opulent  circumstances  ;  and  too,  it  was  no  disparage¬ 
ment  for  the  belles  and  beaux  of  that  day  to  attend  the  sing¬ 
ing  school  or  the  spinning  bee  on  the  ox  sled.  After  a  few 
years  a  change  came  over  this  scene,  the  woods  in  a  measure 
disappeared,  the  sun’s  rays  began  to  kiss  the  naked  ground, 
and  more  comfortable  dwellings  were  introduced  in  place  of 
the  houses  and  barns  of  logs.  At  length  a  beautiful  village 
appears,  and  is  called  Butler’s  Hill,  afterwards,  Pompey  Hill ; 
and  there  was  a  time  within  the  memory  of  many  still  living, 
when  this  same  village  of  Pompey  Hill,  was  as  prominent  a 
place  as  any  in  the  county.  It  gave  more  tone  to  the  sur¬ 
rounding  settlements,  on  account  of  its  refinement  and  wealth, 
its  intelligence  and  learning,  than  any  place  in  its  vicinity. 
People  came  here  for  legal  advice,  they  came  here  for  medical 
advice,  to  do  their  trading,  and  they  came  here  for  fashions, 
they  came  here  for  military  parades,  for  political  discussions, 
and  for  general  consultations  of  a  public  nature ;  they  came 


TOWNS . — P  OMPEY. 


249 


here  to  engage  in  all  the  amusements  and  duties  incident  to 
men  of  a  public  character. 

Mr.  Cobb,  Esquire  Beebe,  Mr.  Jones  and  the  Newmans, 
occupied  Newman’s  Hill,  east  from  Pompey  Hill ;  and  upon 
Pompey  Hill  were  settled,  Judge  Butler,  Captain  Butler, 
Lilley  the  blacksmith,  Esquire  Bowers,  Colonel  Olcott,  two 
or  three  families  of  the  name  of  Hoar  ;  and  around  about 
here  were  settled  the  Jeromes,  the  Durhams,  the  Pixleys, 
the  Wilcoxes,  the  Judds,  the  Coes,  the  Bishops,  the  Conklins, 
the  McEvers,  the  Fosters.  Afterwards  came  the  doctors, 
lawyers,  merchants,  ministers,  tavern  keepers,  who  altogether, 
formed  the  village.  There  was  Parson  Wallace,  Col.  Hop¬ 
kins,  Mr.  Catlin,  Esq.  Wood,  Dr.  Tibballs,  Dr.  Colton,  Rus¬ 
sell  Clark,  Mr.  Emmons,  Seymour  &  Stone,  Messrs.  Bakers, 
Esq.  Birdseye,  afterwards  the  Wheatons  and  Marshes,  and  a 
host  of  others,  whose  names  are  equally  entitled  to  respect. 

As  the  country  increased  in  population,  and  the  forests  were 
prostrated  by  the  woodman’s  ax,  the  beasts  of  prey  yielding 
the  right  of  possession,  retreated  into  the  more  unbroken  re¬ 
gions,  where  the  dwellings  of  men  were  not  as  frequent.  In 
the  town  of  Fabius,  the  next  town  south,  an  old  bear  lingered, 
apparently  disputing  the  right  of  occupancy,  with  more  te¬ 
nacity  and  boldness,  than  some  of  his  more  timorous  associ¬ 
ates.  And  not  unfrequently  did  he  sally  forth  in  the  night, 
and  make  forcible  entry  into  the  pig  pens  and  carry  off  some 
of  the  younger  branches  of  the  swine  family,  much  to  the  an¬ 
noyance  of  the  settlers.  These  depredations  finally  became 
so  frequent  that  the  neighbors  held  a  consultation  upon  the 
means  of  ridding  community  of  so  obnoxious  a  visitor,  and  it 
was  resolved  that  the  next  time  he  should  commit  another  of 
his  unlawful  visits,  it  should  be  considered  a  just  cause  of  ex¬ 
terminating  war.  Soon  after  this,  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of 
snow,  and  Bruin,  probably  considering  this  a  serious  admoni¬ 
tion,  that  it  would  soon  be  time  for  him  to  burrow  up  for  win¬ 
ter,  he  sallied  forth  one  night  and  entered  the  stye  of  a  poor 
man,  and  took  therefrom  a  porker,  which  the  owner  had  in¬ 
tended  to  butcher  in  a  few  days  to  supply  the  necessities  of 


250 


ONOND  AG  A. 


his  own  family.  This  Avas  no  sooner  known,  than  the  male 
portion  of  the  community,  rallied  to  a  man,  and  arming  them¬ 
selves  Avith  guns,  axes  and  pitchforks,  calling  to  their  aid  the 
dogs  of  the  neighborhood,  set  out  upon  the  track,  which  in 
the  snoAv  was  visible  and  plain.  They  soon  started  his  bear- 
ship,  who  posted  off,  with  all  possible  speed,  toAvards  Pompey 
Hill.  The  chase  was  a  hot  one,  and  attended  on  the  way  with 
frequent  skirmishes,  and  more  especially  so  betAveen  the  bear 
and  the  dogs.  In  most  of  these  the  bear  had  the  best  of  the 
battle,  and  had  it  not  been  for  fresh  dogs,  that  constantly 
supplied  the  places  of  the  wounded  and  delinquent,  the  pur¬ 
suit  would  have  been  hopeless,  for  not  a  dog  could  be  induced 
to  reneAV  the  attack  that  had  received  one  single  salutation 
from  this  lord  of  the  forest.  The  chase  waxed  warm,  and 
Bruin  at  last  became  so  pressed,  and  so  fatigued  with  running 
in  the  snow,  that  as  a  last  resort  he  threw  himself  into  the 
public  highAAray,  and  took  the  beaten  track  towards  Pompey 
Hill.  .Among  the  citizens  of  Pompey  Hill,  Avho  were  engaged 
in  this  affair,  Avas  a  deputy  sheriff  or  constable.  He  carried 
in  his  breast  pocket  an  enormous  pocket-book,  containing  a 
large  package  of  papers.  This  officer,  at  the  head  of  his 
posse  commitatus,  stood  ready  to  arrest  the  old  bear  as  he  en¬ 
tered  the  village,  but  Bruin,  either  doubting  his  jurisdiction, 
or  disregarding  the  laAV  against  resisting  the  service  of  process, 
rose  upon  his  hind  feet  the  instant  said  officer  tapped  him  on 
the  nose  with  his  stick,  and  seizing  him  with  his  fore  paws, 
brought  him  forthwith  to  the  ground,  then  opening  his  huge 
mouth,  grabbed  the  officer  in  the  side,  and  Avould  no  doubt 
have  killed  him  on  the  spot,  had  it  not  happened  that  when 
the  bear  closed  his  ponderous  jaAvs,  he  grasped  this  enormous 
pocket-book,  which  completely  filled  his  mouth.  In  the  strug¬ 
gle,  however,  the  bear  inflicted  quite  a  severe  wound,  held  on 
to  the  pocket-book,  and  held  the  man  fast,  till  another  man 
approached  Avith  a  sharp  ax,  Avho.with  a  single  stroke  settled 
the  edge  deep  into  the  brain  of  the  enraged  bear.  Thus  was 
the  ferocious  beast  slain,  and  a  valuable  civil  officer  rescued 
from  an  unpleasant  if  not  perilous  situation.  This  occurrence 


T  O  \V  N  S P  OMPEY. 


251 


took  place  in  1802  or  ’3,  and  is  still  a  story  of  interest  to  the 
descendants  of  the  participators  in  the  scenes  of  that  day. 

Major  Case,  while  at  work  on  the  highway,  in  this  town,  in 
the  month  of  June,  1800, ‘was  attacked  by  a  large  hear.  Hav¬ 
ing  an  ax  in  his  hands,  he  made  a  pass  with  it  at  the  enraged 
animal,  who  dexterously  knocked  the  weapon  to  one  side  with 
his  paw,  and  seizing  the  man  by  the  breast  brought  him  to  the 
ground  inflicting  several  severe  wounds  on  different  parts  of 
his  body.  While  thus  engaged,  another  man  came  up  and  dis¬ 
patched  the  bear  with  an  ax.  Major  Case  lingered  for  near 
a  year  ;  his  wounds  w'ould  not  heal,  and  he  at  length  died  from 
their  effects. 

Pompey  Hollow,  Delphi,  &c. — This  highly  fertile  and  in¬ 
teresting  valley,  which  borders  on  the  east  line  of  the  county, 
is  ten  miles  in  length  by  about  tw'O  in  width,  and  contains  near 
twelve  thousand  acres  of  land.  It  was  eagerly  sought,  at  an 
early  period  of  the  settlement  of  the  towm  of  Pompey,  as  a 
locality  suitable  for  the  most  extensive  and  profitable  opera¬ 
tions  of  the  agriculturist.  The  uniform  prosperity  which  has 
attended  the  proprietors  of  the  soil  of  this  favored  spot,  is 
sufficient  evidence,  that  the  judgment  of  those  who  first  loca¬ 
ted  here,  wras  not  misplaced  ;  and  the  wealth,  affluence  and 
comfort,  which  is  now'  every  wdiere  apparent,  is  a  sure  indica¬ 
tion  that  industry,  frugality  and  thrift,  still  hold  a  high  place 
among  the  present  occupants  of  this  beautiful  valley.  It  is 
watered  its  entire  length  by  the  east  branch  of  the  Limestone 
Creek,  which  takes  its  rise  in  the  towns  of  Cazenovia,  De 
Ruyter  and  Fabius.  Upon  this  stream  are  numerous  saw  mills, 
two  grist  mills,  an  extensive  woolen  factory,  and  clothing 
works  of  smaller  magnitude.  The  first  settlers  who  came  here 
W'ere  Samnel  Draper  and  James  McClure,  in  1792.  They 
were  follow'ed  almost  immediately  by  Ozias  Burr,  Messrs. 
Wright,  Cook,  Atwell,  Allen,  Elihu  Barber,  John  Lamb,  Capt. 
Peck,  Daniel  Thomas  and  others,  most  of  whom  were  from  the 
Newr  England  States;  The  land  of  this  valley,  like  much  of 
that  in  other  parts  of  the  town  of  Pompey,  had  to  be  cleared 
of  heavy  timber,  consisting  of  elm,  oak,  ash,  maple,  basswood, 


252 


ONONDAGA. 


&c.,  interspersed  with  pine,  cedar  and  hemlock.  Like  the  pio¬ 
neers  of  all  new  settlements,  the  first  years  of  their  sojourn 
were  spent  under  exceedingdy  great  discouragements.  They 
relied,  for  the  first  year  or  two,  entirely  on  provisions  brought 
along  with  them  from  the  east.  Among  the  first  things  ac- 
complished,  was  the  opening  of  a  school  the  following  season, 
(1793)  in  a  log  school  house,  erected  on  the  line  between  the 
farm  of  Esquire  Cook  and  Esquire  Burr,  and  Mr.  Charles 
Merriman  was  engaged  as  a  teacher.  He  continued  his  use¬ 
ful  vocation  here  for  several  successive  years,  with  deserved 
success  and  well-merited  approbation.  At  a  subsequent  peri¬ 
od,  a  log  school  house  was  erected  near  where  the  Baptist 
house  of  worship  now  stands,  in  the  village  of  Delphi,  and 
Shubal  Marsh  was  engaged  in  teaching  it.  Hon.  Joshua  A. 
Spencer,  President  Jesse  Peck,  of  Dickinson  College,  Dr. 
Amos  Westcott,  Professor  of  Dental  Surgery,  Baltimore  Col¬ 
lege,  Rev.  Albert  Peck,  the  celebrated  Methodist  Preacher, 
and  Le  Roy  Morgan,  Esq.,  District  Attorney  for  Onondaga, 
have  severally,  at  different  periods,  taught  this  school. 

The  village  of  Delphi,  at  the  south  end  of  this  valley,  be¬ 
gan  to  be  settled  quite  early,  say  1797  and  1798,  by  Mr. 
Savage,  Daniel  Hubbard,  William  Shankland,  David  Sweet 
and  others.  Dr.  Ely  kept  a  tavern  here  in  1804,  succeeded 
by  Mr.  Hubbard,  who  was  the  first  merchant  in  the  place. 
Schuyler  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  was  the  first  lawyer,  who  lo- 
lated  here  in  1805.  Post  Office  established  1809;  Mr.  Yan 
Rensselaer,  Post  Master  ;  afterwards  succeeded  by  Col.  Elisha 
Litchfield.  The  first  Baptist  Church  in  Pompey,  was  organi¬ 
zed  here  in  1803,  Elder  Baker  first  pastor.  Their  present 
house  of  worship  was  completed  1819,  and  the  Methodist  house 
of  worship  the  same  year. 

James  Scoville,  Joseph  Bartholomew,  Roswell  and  Asael 
Barnes,  were  among  the  first  settlers  at  Oran  before  1798. 
Mr.  Bartholomew  built  the  first  log  house,  a  part  of  which 
was  formed  by  a  large  hemlock  tree.  He  also  erected  the  first 
frame  house  in  1799,  and  in  it  kept  the  first  tavern.  A  school 
was  soon  established  in  a  log  school  house,  and  missionaries 


TOWNS P  O  M  P  E  Y . 


253 


from  Connecticut  ministered  to  their  spiritual  wants.  The 
first  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Perry,  who  preached  in  James  Scoville’s 
barn,  and  in  other  barns  in  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Wallace, 
Mr.  Stoddard  and  Mr.  Rawson,  all  Congregationalists,  preached 
here. 

Rev.  Hugh  Wallace  organized  the  society  in  Oran,  27th 
January,  1806.  The  society  was  re-organized  under  the  title 
of  the  “  Second  Congregational  Society  of  the  town  of  Pom- 
pey,"  6th  October,  1806,  when  Punderson  Avery,  Jedediah 
Cleveland  and  Joseph  Bartholomew,  were  elected  Trustees, 
Lemuel  Hall  and  Jedediah  Cleveland,  presiding  at  the  meeting. 

The  first  frame  house  of  worship  in  the  town  of  Pompey, 
was  erected  by  this  society  in  1807  and  ’8,  being  the  third 
house  of  worship  erected  in  the  county.  The  following  Rev. 
gentlemen  have  occasionally  or  statedly  officiated  here.  Rev. 
Messrs.  Rawson,  Davenport  and  Baldwin,  were  settled  here ; 
Rev.  Messrs.  Leonard  and  Chadwick,  and  several  Baptist  and 
Methodist  Clergymen,  have  occasionally  officiated.  The  Uni- 
versalist  Society  now  hold  and  occasionally  occupy  the  house, 
and  furnish  a  large  part  of  the  congregation.  The  building 
is  apparently  fast  going  to  decay. 

Dr.  Daniel  Dennison  first  commenced  the  practice  of  medi¬ 
cine  at  this  place,  in  1814,  and  is  still  at  his  post  healing  the 
sick  and  comforting  the  dying.  Previously,  Drs.  Ward,  Weed 
and  Fisk,  of  Eagle  Village,  had  officiated  as  physicians  at  this 
place.  No  lawyer  has  ever  resided  at  Oran.  Messrs.  Dela- 
mater  opened  the  first  store  of  note  here  about  the  year  1810, 
and  did  a  flourishing  business. 

In  1798,  this  valley  was  visited  by  myriads  of  caterpillars, 
which  totally  stript  the  forests  of  their  foliage,  and  attacked 
the  smaller  vegetables  with  great  voracity,  doing  considerable 
damage  to  the  tender  corn.  They  however  disappeared  in 
the  month  of  June,  vegetation  revived,  and  the  crops  were 
plenteous.  These  insects  were  so  numerous,  that  they  con¬ 
gregated  in  heaps,  on  the  eaves  and  chimnies  of  the  houses  at 
evening,  and  when  fires  were  kindled  in  the  morning,  were 
very  troublesome,  often  spinning  down  the  low  stick  chimnies 


254 


ONONDAGA. 


into  the  cookery,  and  when  their  day  was  over,  in  such  quan¬ 
tities  had  they  accumulated  that  the  atmosphere  Avas  complete¬ 
ly  tainted  Avith  their  decaying  remains. 

A  little  cast  of  the  village  of  Delphi,  are  tAvo  very  beauti¬ 
ful  Avaterfalls,  on  the  Limestone  Creek.  They  are  separated 
by  a  deep  rocky  gorge,  of  some  twenty  rods  in  extent,  about 
thirty  yards  broad  at  the  top,  and  not  more  than  eight  or  ten 
at  bottom,  through  which  the  water  rushes  with  great  force. 
The  upper  fall  may  be  about  forty  feet  in  height,  and  nearly 
perpendicular,  very  little  broken,  and  situated  as  it  is  among 
this  wild  mountain  scenery,  conveys  to  the  mind  an  idea  of 
sublimity  and  grandeur,  exciting  both  wonder  and  astonish¬ 
ment.  The  lower  fall  is  about  fifty  feet,  and  the  water  leaps 
over  the  abrupt  and  rocky  precipice,  with  a  charming  mixture 
of  the  picturesque  and  sublime.  The  high  banks  of  bare  dark 
broAvn  shale,  with  occasionally  an  evergreen  shrub  gi'OAving 
out  of  the  perpendicular  precipice,  serves  to  vary  the  effect, 
and  give  life  to  the  boldness  and  imagery  of  the  scene. 

Statistics  of  Pompey  from  census  of  1845  :■ — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  4,112 ;  subject  to  military  duty, 
257  ;  voters,  977  ;  aliens,  36  ;  paupers,  6 ;  children  attending 
Common  Schools,  1,029 ;  acres  of  improved  land,  30,951 ; 
grist  mills,  3 ;  saAV  mills,  11 ;  oil  mills,  2 ;  fulling  mills,  1 ; 
carding  machines,  1;  woolen  factory,  1;  trip  hammer,  1; 
asheries,  1 ;  tanneries,  5  ;  Churches — Baptist,  3 ;  Presbyte¬ 
rian,  3  ;  Episcopal,  1 ;  Methodist,  4  ;  Universalist,  1 ;  Roman 
Catholic,  private,  1 ;  Academy,  1 ;  Common  Schools,  26  ;  Se¬ 
lect  Schools,  1 ;  taverns,  8  ;  retail  stores,  5  ;  merchants,  9  ; 
manufacturers,  26  ;  farmers,  775  ;  mechanics,  88;  clergymen, 
9  ;  physicians,  6  ;  lawyers,  5. 

Antiquities  of  the  Township  of  Pompey. — The  antiqui¬ 
ties  of  the  township  of  Pompey,  consist  mainly  of  earthern 
forts  and  defenses — mural  remains,  traces  of  villages,  trading 
establishments,  burying  places  and  sundry  articles  found  scat¬ 
tered  among  them.  These  things,  it  is  our  intention  briefly 
to  notice. 

One  of  the  most  noted  localities  of  this  kind,  is  the  one  on  the 


TOWNS.—  POM  E  Y  .—A  N  T I Q, U  I  T I  E  S . 


255 


farm  of  Isaac  P.  Jobs,  usually  called  “  Indian  Hill.”  Upon  this 
spot  have  b.een  found,  perhaps  a  greater  variety  of  articles, 
positively  indicating  the  residence,  at  some  early  period,  of 
Europeans,  than  on  any  other  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  in  the 
town  of  Pompey,  two  miles  south  of  Manlius  Village,  situated 
on  one  of  the  most  beautiful  elevations,  imaginable.  As  you 
approach  it  on  the  road  from  the  south,  the  ascent  is  gradual, 
backed  by  an  extensive  level.  On  the  west,  is  a  deep  gulf, 
made  by  the  west  branch  of  the  Limestone  Creek.  On  the 
east,  is  a  deep  ravine,  through  which  flows  a  small  stream,  whose 
banks  are  very  bold.  The  whole  length  of  this  elevation, 
bearing  the  strongest  evidence  of  having  been  inhabited,  may 
be  nearly  a  mile,  and  it  is  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  rods  wide.  To  the  north,  is  a  beautiful  slope,  ex¬ 
tending  some  thirty  or  forty  rods,  when  it  takes  a  rapid  fall 
of  fifty  or  more  feet.  Then  a  plain  of  some  thirty  or  forty 
acres,  spreads  itself  out  in  full  view  from  the  hill.  Upon  this 
level  were  several  acres  literally  covered  with  graves. 

A  brass  medal  was  found  near  this  place,  in  1821,  by  John 
Watson.  It  was  without  date,  on  one  side  of  it  was  a  figure 
of  Louis  XIV,  king  of  France  and  Navarre.  On  the  reverse 
side,  was  represented  a  field,  with  three  flowers  de  luce,  support¬ 
ing  a  royal  crown,  surrounded  by  the  name  of  Naif  Lanfar 
&  Co.  It  was  about  the  size  of  a  Spanish  pistareen,  had  been 
compressed  between  dies — characters  and  letters  distinct.  It 
was  given  to  the  Hon.  Samuel  L.  Mitchell,  to  grace  his  col¬ 
lection  of  curious  relics  and  coins. 

When  the  first  settlers  came  here  in  1791,  ’92,  ’93,  this 
ground  was  covered  with  thorns,  wild  plumtrees  and  other 
shrubs,  indicating  that  it  had  been  cleared  and  cultivated  at 
some  previous  time.  When  it  was  first  cultivated  in  these  lat¬ 
ter  times,  gun  barrels,  sword  blades,  hatchets,  knives,  axes, 
clay  pipes,  copper  kettles,  brass  chains,  beads  of  glass,  pew¬ 
ter  plates,  rings  for  the  fingers,  ear  and  nose  jewels,  lead  balls, 
iron  gate  hangings,  copper  coins,  tools  for  working  wood  and 
iron,  and  other  articles  used  by  civilized  men  and  unknown  to 
savages,  together  with  human  bones,  were  frequei  ly  foi  •  n 


256 


ONONDAGA. 


or  near  the  earth’s  surface.  Many  of  our  early  settlers,  now 
living,  distinctly  recollect  the  appearance  of  the  enclosure  en¬ 
titled  “the  fort,”  upon  and  about  which,  trees  had  grown  to 
a  considerable  size.  Its  earthern  walls  were  then  some  four 
or  five  feet  high,  having  evidently  been  considerably  lessened 
by  the  ravages  of  time.  It  was  circular,  and  from  three  hun¬ 
dred  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  diameter.  There  was 
but  one  gateway,  and  that  quite  narrow.  In  1801,  Mr.  John 
Hatch  ploughed  up  three  muskets  and  a  blunderbuss.  They 
were  found  near  together,  the  stocks  decayed,  the  barrels  flat¬ 
tened  as  if  with  the  head  of  an  ax,  plainly  bearing  the  inden¬ 
tations  of  that  instrument.  There  are  traditionary  notions 
prevailing  with  some  of  the  inhabitants  in  this  vicinity,  that 
the  mutilation  of  these  arms  in  this  manner  was  by  the  Indians, 
who  did  it  that  the  sound  of  the  guns  might  not  kill  them.  It 
is  supposed  that  they  were  ignorant  of  the  true  cause  of  the 
weapon’s  power  of  destructiveness.  This  conclusion  is  prob¬ 
ably  erroneous,  as  nearly  all  the  gun  barrels  have  been  found 
flattened  at  their  muzzles,  and  the  more  reasonable  inference 
is,  that  it  was  the  work  of  victorious  parties  who  were  unable 
to  secure  them  by  removal,  and  did  it  to  prevent  their  again 
becoming  useful  in  the  hands  of  their  enemies. 

The  guns  usually  found,  are  of  a  heavy  make,  with  large 
bell-shaped  muzzles ;  those  seen  by  the  author  were  evidently 
of  English  manufacture.  The  copper  coins  were  French, 
though  so  much  corroded,  that  the  marks  and  dates  could  not 
be  deciphered.  Several  pits  where  corn  had  been  stored  were 
visible.  In  one  of  these  pits  a  large  quantity  of  charred  corn 
was  found.  Probably  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  establishment, 
the  lodge  which  contained  it  was  burned  over  it,  and  thus 
prepared  the  mass  for  the  state  of  preservation  in  which  it 
was  found.  At  every  plowing  something  new  is  brought  to 
light.  Not  long  since  a  curiously  wrought  brass  chain,  two 
and  a  half  feet  long  and  one  inch  and  a  half  wide,  was  found. 
Its  appearance  was  as  if  it  had  recently  been  subjected  to  fire, 
the  most  prominent  parts  newly  polished.  A  curious  brass  im¬ 
age  was  recently  found  there,  probably  a  part  of  some  Romish 


TOWNS.-POMPEY  .—A  N  T I Q  U  IT  IE  S .  257 


priest’s  collection.  Many  of  these  relics  were  found  by  Mr. 
Jobs  or  his  workmen,  and  several  are  now  in  his  possession. 
The  soil  upon  this  ridge,  where  undoubtedly  once  flourished 
an  extensive  Indian  village,  and  European  trading  establish¬ 
ments,  has  the  appearance  of  rich  garden  mold  recently  ma¬ 
nured.  Large  spots  of  very  dark  mold  may  still  be  seen  at 
regular  intervals,  a  few  yards  apart,  in  which  are  mingled 
ashes  and  charcoal,  and  these,  probably,  mark  the  site  of  the 
cabins  or  houses  once  standing  over  them.  De  Witt  Clinton 
visited  this  place  and  others  of  a  sim*ilar  nature  in  1815  or 
1816,  made  many  inquiries,  and  gathered  a  variety  of  relics, 
some  of  which  were  presented  to  the  New-York  Historical 
Society.  Among  them  were  a  small  bell  without  a  clapper, 
piece  of  a  large  bell,  a  gold  finger  ring,  sword  blade,  bayo¬ 
net,  &c. 

There  is  an  extensive  burying  place  contiguous,  where  sev¬ 
eral  acres  were  once  covered  with  graves  of  men,  women  and 
children.  The  skeletons  were  universally  found  buried  in  a 
sitting  posture,  facing  the  east,  with  some  domestic  utensil  or 
weapon  of  war  between  the  thigh  bones.  They  are  usually- 
found  two  or  three  feet  below  the  surface.  The  skull  and 
bones  of  the  body  are  uniformly  sunk  to  a  level  with  the  legs. 
From  appearances,  the  bodies,  after  being  placed  in  their 
graves,  were  covered  with  brush  previous  to  casting  the  earth 
upon  them.  Trees  of  two  hundred  years  growth,  once  stood 
over  some  of  these  graves. 

This  and  all  the  other  burying  places  have  been  resorted  to 
by  antiquaries  and  others,  more  curious  than  considerate,  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  Indian  skeletons.  To  so  great  an 
extent  has  this  rude  practice  been  carried,  that  perhaps  at  this 
time  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  one  by  seeking — as  if  it  could 
be  no  harm  to  rob  an  Indian’s  grave.  These  noble  men  have 
gone  ;  their  generations  sleep  in  our  cultivated  fields  ;  our  har¬ 
vests  wave  upon  their  hills ;  we  have  robbed  them  of  all  else, 
and  we  should  at  least  spare  their  places  of  sepulchre.  Many 
years  ago,  when  the  settlements  were  first  made,  a  man,  whose 
name  deserves  not  to  be  remembered,  made  a  regular  business 

b  17 


258 


ONONDAGA. 


of  disinterring  the  hones  contained  in  the  Indian  graves,  ta¬ 
king  whatever  was  found  in  them  to  himself.  Hundreds  of 
skeletons  have  been  removed  for  anatomical  purposes,  and  to 
enlarge  the  cabinets  of  the  curious.  In  this  unhallowed  bu¬ 
siness  he  amassed  several  hundred  dollars’  worth  of  property. 
The  Indians,  who  are  remarkable  for  their  regard  for  the  dead, 
who,  though  Pagan  in  their  worship,  are  shining  examples  for 
Christians  to  follow,  in  respect  to  the  violation  of  these  sacred 
deposits,  were  at  one  time  on  the  point  of  unceremoniously 
chastising  him  in  a  most  summary  manner.  He  eluded  their 
vengeance  and  never  dared  visit  the  country  afterwards. 

There  is  another  place  of  considerable  importance,  called 
“the  castle,”  nea,r  David  Williams’,  Pompey,  one  mile  from 
“  Indian  Hill.”  In  former  years  it  was  owned  by  Michael 
Bourse,  Avho  collected  a  great  variety  of  trinkets,  consisting 
of  beads,  precious  “stone  ornaments,”  &c.  In  1815,  a  brass 
medal  was  found,  on  one  side  of  which  was  an  equestrian  im¬ 
age  with  a  drawn  sword,  and  on  the  other,  William,  Prince  of 
Orange,  with  a  crest  or  coat  of  arms ;  the  date  was  oblitera¬ 
ted.  William,  Prince  of  Orange,  flourished  in  1689,  and  was 
quite  conspicuous  in  the  affairs  of  New-York  for  several  years 
previous.  This  medal  may  have  been  a  present  by  him  to 
some  distinguished  chief.  In  that  neighborhood,  a  bass  wood 
tree  was  felled,  and  an  ineffectual  attempt  made  to  split  the 
first  twelve  feet  into  rails.  It  was  found  impossible  to  open 
it  at  all,  when,  upon  farther  examination,  a  large  chain  was 
found  encircling  it,  over  which  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
concentric  circles  had  formed,  representing  as  many  years. 
A  large  hemlock  tree  was  discovered  with  three  distinct  cuts 
of  an  ax,  over  which  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  of  these 
granular  circles  had  formed.  Now  subtract  one  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  from  1815,  the  time  when  these  examinations 
were  made,  and  we  have  the  date  1637,  as  the  time  when  these 
marks  were  supposed  to  have  been  made,  at  which  time,  it  is 
reasonable  to  suppose,  the  neighborhood  was  inhabited  by 
Europeans.  A  mortar  dug  out  of  solid  rock  may  be  seen  at 
the  brook  near  by,  holding  nearly  a  peck.  In  the  steep  banks 


TOWNS.— POMPE  Y  .—A  NTIQ.UITIES.  259 


of  tliis  brook  are  numerous  evidences  of  its  having  been  the 
scene  of  a  hard  fought  battle.  Articles  of  war,  such  as  gun- 
barrels  and  bullets,  have  been  found,  and  also  knives,  axes, 
&c.,  upon  this  particular  spot.  The  regular  appearance  of 
four  laid  out  streets  for  a  considerable  extent,  was  once  very 
discernable,  and  small  hillocks  where  corn  had  evidently  been 
cultivated  could  be  traced  for  a  long  distance.  Weapons  and 
implements  anciently  used  by  the  Indians  were  frequently 
found  by  farmers  in  plowing  their  fields,  consisting  of  arrow¬ 
heads,  axes,  hatchets,  gouges,  pestles,  &c.,  made  of  flint,  gran¬ 
ite  and  hornblend,  nicely  cut  and  finely  polished.  David 
Williams  at  one  time  plowed  up  the  skeleton  of  a  man,  and 
found  with  it  a  small  brass  kettle  filled  with  corn  and  beans, 
in  a  tolerable  state  of  preservation.  The  kettle  was  used  in 
his  family  for  domestic  purposes  several  years.  A  gun  barrel 
was  found  leaning  against  a  tree,  with  two-thirds  of  its  top 
imbeded  therein.  Wood  had  made  over  it  about  twelve  inches. 
Fragments  of  the  lock  were  found  with  it.  A  box  was  dis¬ 
covered  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  supposed  to  have  been 
buried  in  a  hurried  manner.  It  was  so  far  preserved  as  to  show 
plainly  that  it  had  been  made  of  riven  planks  of  ash,  partial¬ 
ly  smoothed  with  an  ax.  It  contained  cloths  of  red  and 
blue  colors ;  the  folds  could  plainly  be  seen,  and  parts  were 
so  sound  as  to  admit  of  being  raised  without  falling  asunder. 
Lead  clasps,  bearing  French  marks  upon  them,  were  contained 
in  the  box. 

Samuel  Hibbard  and  David  Hinsdale  at  one  time  found  a 
gun  barrel  on  lot  number  six.  They  were  then  boys,  and 
thought  to  have  a  little  sport.  For  this  purpose  they  placed 
the  butt  end  of  the  gun  barrel  in  the  fire,  for  the  purpose  of 
burning  off  the  rust ;  after  a  while  the  barrel  exploded  and 
forced  a  ball  against  the  stone  jambs,  which  completely  flat¬ 
tened  it.  How  long  this  weapon  had  been  charged  is  unknown, 
but  allowing  it  to  be  at  the  date  of  other  evidences  of 
French  occupancy,  it  must  have  been  near  one  hundred  and 
forty  years.  The  barrel  when  found  was  standing  upright  in 
a  clump  of  bass  wood  bushes,  as  if  it  had  been  leaned  against 


260 


ONONDAGA. 


a  stump  which  had  decayed,  and  the  clump  of  shrubbery  grown 
up  in  its  stead.  Over  thirty  ivory  combs  .were  found  near 
the  same  place,  many  of  them  in  a  tolerable  state  of  preser¬ 
vation.  Wagon  loads  of  old  iron  have  been  taken  from  these 
grounds. 

Mr.  Hinsdale  of  Pompey,  at  one  time  had  in  his  possesion 
three  vises,  one  of  which  was  very  large,  and  the  jaws  alone 
weighed  forty  one  pounds.  It  wras  beautifully  engraved  all 
over,  with  representations  of  dogs,  bears,  deer,  squirrels,  fishes, 
birds,  and  was  altogether  a  beautiful  specimen  of  workman¬ 
ship.  Another,  a  hand  vise  of  excellent  quality,  was  sold  to 
Mr.  Boylston,  a  silversmith  of  Manlius  Village,  who  used  it 
while  he  continued  in  the  business.  Mr.  David  Hinsdale 
found  a  nest  of  brass  kettles,  the  largest  of  which  would  hold 
two  pails  full,  and  the  smallest  about  three  pints.  They  were 
all  bailed,  ready  for  use,  and  some  of  the  smaller  ones  were 
used  in  Dr.  Western’s  family,  and  Mr.  Hinsdale’s  family,  for 
several  years.  The  larger  ones,  being  on  the  outside,  were 
considerably  corroded  by  time  and  exposure,  and  were  unfit 
for  use.  When  found,  they  were  nearly  buried  under  the 
roots  of  a  large  tree. 

The  bones  of  a  man  were  found  on  the  surface,  partially 
covered,  and  with  them  part  of  a  case  of  surgical  instruments, 
much  corroded  by  rust.  On  the  late  Dr.  Western’s  farm, 
could  be  distinctly  traced  the  remains  of  a  small  fortification, 
with  a  burying  place.  One  grave  was  opened,  in  which  were 
the  remains  of  thirteen  men.  One  of  the  skulls  taken  from 
it  had  been  perforated  by  a  bullet,  which  was  found  within  it. 
Another  skull  found  in  this  grave  was  very  much  larger  than 
its  fellows ;  the  under  jaw  would  fit  completely  outside  of  a 
common  man’s,  and  it  is  said  that  the  other  bones  were  of  cor¬ 
responding  gigantic  dimensions.  A  vise  and  other  black¬ 
smith’s  tools  were  found  here,  as  well  as  gate  hinges  and 
many  trinkets  like  those  already  enumerated.  Not  far  from 
this  last,  on  the  farm  of  the  late  John  Clapp,  at  an  early  day 
were  plainly  traceable,  the  lines  of  an  earthern  fortification. 
Sundry  articles,  such  as  musket  balls,  gun  barrels,  axes,  &c., 


TOWNS P  OMP  E  Y— A NTIQUITIES. 


261 


have  been  found  upon  this  ground.  The  axes  were  usually 
made  from  a  straight  bar  of  iron,  the  eye  formed  by  bending 
it  over,  welding  it  down  and  hammering  out  an  edge  ;  not  at 
all  resembling  any  tool  now  in  common  use.  Near  this  place 
were  plowed  up,  several  years  since,  six  large,  very  deep, 
heavy,  and  broad  rimmed  pewter  platters.  They  were  found 
several  inches  below  the  surface,  one  within  another  ;  they  are 
in  a  very  good  state  of  preservation  now  and  plainly  bear  the 
impression  of  the  British  coat  of  arms ;  probably  were  once 
the  property  of  a  party  of  English  traders  and  may  have 
been  buried  there  as  a  place  of  safety. 

In  felling  a  large  pine  tree  for  shingles  on  Mr.  Hibbard’s 
farm,  in  1820,  after  cutting  in  about  a  foot,  the  mark  of  an 
ax  was  found,  and  also  a  burned  spot,  the  size  of  a  man’s 
hand  or  larger.  The  probability  is,  that  the  tree  had  been 
“boxed”  to  obtain  turpentine,  and  when  the  ancient  settle¬ 
ment  was  broken  up,  the  turpentine  had  been  burned  out. 
From  appearances,  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  years  must 
have  passed  away  since  the  ax  and  fire  had  set  their  mark 
upon  this  tree.  All  had  grown  up  solid,  and  there  was  no 
outward  appearance  of  former  work  upon  the  tree.  On  Mr. 
David  Hinsdale’s  farm,  under  a  large  pine  stump,  was  a  heap 
of  ashes  and  cinders,  from  which  the  boys  in  the  neighborhood 
used  to  extricate  almost  every  variety  of  Indian  relic. 

Near  Mr.  Hinsdale’s  house,  when  the  land  was  first  occu¬ 
pied,  and  before  the  plow  began  its  work,  there  were  numer¬ 
ous  circular  elevations  made  of  stones,  some  twelve  or  four¬ 
teen  feet  in  diameter,  and  about  eighteen  inches  high.  They 
were  arranged  in  regular  rows,  some  two  or  three  rods  apart, 
and  were  probably  the  foundations  of  cabins,  which  had  been 
once  erected  on  this  ground,  which  must  from  their  numbers 
and  extent  formed  a  considerable  village.  Among  the  curi- 
ous  relics  preserved  by  Mr.  Hinsdale,  is  a  pad-lock  of  trian¬ 
gular  shape,  about  three  inches  on  a  side.  It  is  almost  de¬ 
stroyed  by  rust,  but  it  is  a  singular  piece  of  mechanism,  and 
must  in  its  day  have  been  quite  a  formidable  opponent  to  the 
pro  gross  of  thieves.  He  has  a  knife  which  has  withstood  the 


262 


ONONDAGA. 


rust  and  ravages  of  exposure  and  time  better  than  any  thing 
yet  found.  The  steel  must  be  of  the  finest  quality,  and  high 
tempered,  and  might  now  be  used  as  well  as  ever  if  it  was 
provided  with  a  handle.  He  has  numerous  beads,  specimens 
of  wampum,  ornaments  of  red  pipe-stone,  medals,  rings, 
crosses,  fee.  &c.,  which  are  well  worth  the  attention  of  the  cu¬ 
rious.  Several  brass  crescents  have  been  found  bearing  the 
inscription,  11  Hoi  de  France  et  Dieu.”  These  were  probably 
used  for  nose  and  ear  jewels.  Corn  hills  were  abundant  near 
all  the  places  bearing  the  marks  of  occupancy  before  the  plow 
leveled  them,  and  even  now  in  the  forests  they  are  to  be  found, 
but  not  so  frequently  as  in  former  times.  The  art  of  making 
maple  sugar  was  undoubtedly  known  to  the  Indians,  for  the 
early  settlers  all  agree  that  the  maple  trees  in  this  region  bore 
evddent  marks  of  having  been  tapped.  Ax  marks  were  often 
found  six  or  eight  inches  from  the  bark,  many  of  the  trees 
being  hollow,  caused  by  frequent  incisions.  Even  the  marks 
made  by  the  rude  gouges  of  the  natives  were  sometimes  made 
visible  in  the  operation  of  clearing  off  forests. 

These  places  of  defense  and  burial  were  very  numerous  in 
the  township  of  Pompey.  There  are  not  less  than  fifteen 
which  have  been  pointed  out  to  us,  and  which  we  have  visited. 
They  are  scattered  through  several  of  the  neighboring  towns. 
We  might  multiply  accounts  of  these  relics  without  end,  but 
enough  has  already  been  said,  we  hope,  to  attract  the  atten¬ 
tion  of  searchers  after  antiquarian  truth,  and  to  show  that  this 
interesting  section  was  once  partially  peopled  by  Europeans, 
(probably  French,  long  since  the  discovery  of  America  by  Co¬ 
lumbus,)  whose  history  is  obscure,  and  can  only  be  imperfectly 
unraveled  by  judicious  comparisons  and  plausible  conjecture. 

Most  of  the  grounds  before  noted,  undoubtedly  have  been 
the  scenes  of  hard  fought  battles,  after  which  the  country  was 
probably  deserted  by  the  remnant  (if  any)  of  whites  who  once 
kept  their  trading  establishments  here.  Villages  to  a  con¬ 
siderable  extent  once  covered  these  hills,  and  the  fate  of  their 
inhabitants  is,  and  probably  for  ever  will  be  wrapped  in  mys¬ 
tery.  When,  or  by  what  civilized  men  these  fortifications 


T  OWNS P  O  JVI  P  E  Y.— A  NTIQUITIES. 


263 


were  built,  it  were  vain  for  us  to  inquire  ;  obscurity  draws  her 
doubtful  veil  over  the  whole,  and  we  dimly  see  in  the  faded 
traditions  and  chronicles  of  the  past,  that  these  were  the  works 
of  architects  not  barbarian,  at  a  period  not  exceedingly  re¬ 
mote.  Indian  tradition  still  keeps  alive  the  fact  that  these 
grou  ids  have  been  the  theatre  of  blood  ;  and  such  is  their  ab¬ 
horrence  of  scenes  once  enacted  here,  that  except  in  a  few 
very  rare  instances,  they  do  not  visit  the  regions  near  the  an¬ 
cient  forts  and  burying  grounds.  “  Ote-queh-sa-he-eh”  is 
their  exclamation — “  ’  Tis  the  field  of  blood." 

By  comparing  facts  and  circumstances  as  they  have  fallen 
under  our  observation  with  other  historical  data,  and  consider¬ 
ing  the  importance  the  early  French  colonists  of  Canada  al¬ 
ways  attached  to  the  Indian  trade,  the  readiness  with  which 
they  adapted  themselves  to  Indian  manners  and  habits,  and 
the  earnest  desire  of  the  Jesuits  to  establish  the  Romish  reli¬ 
gion  among  them,  it  may  not  be  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that 
designing  men  pushed  their  way  here,  and  made  themselves 
familiar  with  the  country  and  its  resources,  long  before  colo¬ 
nies  were  established,  and  individual  enterprise  may  have 
erected  defenses  for  security,  long  before  they  were  consider¬ 
ed  of  sufficient  importance  to  claim  protection  from  their  gov¬ 
ernment.  It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  French 
had  always  cherished  the  design  of  absolutely  monopolizing 
and  controling  all  the  trade  of  the  Iroquois.  Colonies  and 
military  posts  were  established  at  Quebec  and  Montreal,  du¬ 
ring  the  first  twelve  years  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and 
these  were  considerably  increased  during  the  twenty-five 
years  immediately  succeeding. 

The  Dutch  also  had  opened  a  channel  of  trade  with  the 
“Maquas,”  during  the  period  that  they  held  possession  of 
New-Netherlands  ;  but  it  does  not  appear,  that  during  their 
ascendancy,  their  traders  or  people  formed  any  permanent 
residences  among  the  Indian  nations  west  of  the  Mohawks 
country,  although  the  trade  was  considered  lucrative.  And 
the  New-England  people  it  is  presumed,  had  troubles  enough 
to  engage  all  of  their  attention  at  home,  in  the  protracted  and 


264 


ONONDAGA. 


exhausting  wars  which  occurred  during  the  infancy  of  their 
settlements.  So  that  it  is  but  reasonable  to  infer,  that  the 
early  French  adventurers  succeeded  in  so  far  winning  the  fa- 
vor  and  affections  of  the  Iroquois,  as  to  be  allowed  to  intrench 
themselves  strongly  within  their  territory,  as  early  as  1640 
or  1650,  and  that  these  ruins  now  so  famous  as  antiquarian 
relics  in  our  county,  were  the  works  of  their  hands. 

The  most  interesting  and  important  relic  of  by-gone  days, 
and  the  one  which  has  attracted  the  most  attention,  and  eli¬ 
cited  the  most  speculative  opinions  in  this  region,  undoubtedly 
is  the  celebrated  stone  found  by  Mr.  Philo  Cleveland  on  his 
farm,  since  occupied  by  the  late  Mr.  Anson  Sprague.  It  is 
about  fourteen  inches  long  by  twelve  inches  broad  and  eight 
inches  thick  ;  a  very  heavy,  hard,  oval  shaped  stone,  evident¬ 
ly  a  boulder,  much  worn,  and  from  outward  appearances, 
granitic,  but  perhaps  approaching  nearer  to  gneiss  than  gran¬ 
ite  ;  on  it  in  the  centre,  is  rather  rudely  engraved  the  figure 
of  a  tree  with  a  serpent  climbing  it.  [See  the  annexed  cut.) 

Of  course  the  interpretation  would  be  materially  different. 
It  was  probably  designed  as  a  sepulchral  monument,  and  may 
have  been  executed  on  or  near  the  place  where  it  was  found. 

The  following  brief  history  of  this  singular  relic  may  not 
be  wholly  uninteresting.  Mr.  Cleveland  was  picking  stones 
in  his  field,  preparatory  to  making  a  meadow,  in  the  summer 
of  1820  or  1821.  It  was  on  a  moist  piece  of  ground  and  to¬ 
ward  evening,  at  the  close  of  his  day’s  labors,  he  raised  the 
stone  with  his  iron  bar  and  turned  it  on  its  edge.  Mr.  C. 
being  weary,  leaned  against  a  stump  near  by,  with  his  hands 
resting  on  the  top  of  the  bar.  While  musing  in  that  posi¬ 
tion,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  stone,  he  observed  something 
remarkable  about  it ;  and  upon  taking  a  nearer  view,  dis¬ 
covered  some  of  the  characters  and  letters  above  described. 
Fie  removed  it  to  a  pile  of  stones  not  far  distant,  and  at  the 
time  thought  but  little  of  it.  Several  days  afterward  he  made 
another  visit  to  the  stone,  when  he  found  that  the  rain  had 
washed  the  dirt  clean  from  it,  and  the  rude  engraving  wras  much 
more  distinctly  to  be  seen.  This  induced  him  to  invite  some 


TO  W  N  S P  O  M  P  E  Y  .—A  N  T I  Q,  U I T I E  S .  265 


of  his  neighbors  to  exaihine  it,  whereupon  it  was  decided  to 
remove  it  to  a  blacksmith’s  shop  at  Watervale,  a  small  set¬ 
tlement  near  by.  It  remained  there  six  months  or  more,  and 
became  the  subject  of  much  talk  and  speculation  at  the  time. 

Every  person  who  came  to  the  shop,  would  of  course  ex¬ 
amine  the  stone,  take  a  horse  nail  or  old  file  and  scrape  all 
the  cracks,  seams  and  carvings,  giving  it  somewhat  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  new  work.  The  stone  was  found  with  the  inscrip¬ 
tion  downward,  about  one-third  buried.  It  is  not  at  all  pro¬ 
bable  that  Mr.  Cleveland  or  any  of  the  persons  who  first  saw 
the  stone  in  the  field  or  at  the  shop,  could  have  designed  or 
executed  the  carvings  ;  besides,  there  are  many  persons  now 
living  who  would  bear  testimony  to  its  authenticity.  It  was 
subsequently  removed  to  Manlius  Village,  and  was  visited  by 
several  distinguished  gentlemen  of  science,  most  of  whom 
were  disposed  to  admit  that  it  was  genuine.  It  remained  in 
this  village  nearly  a  year,  and  was  finally  deposited  in  the 


266 


ONONDAGA. 


Museum  of  the  Albany  Institute,  now  under  the  care  of  Dr. 
T.  Romeyn  Beck,  where  it  still  remains  an  object  both  of 
speculation  and  curiosity  ;  and  so  far  as  the  writer  of  this  is 
informed,  it  is  admitted  to  be  an  authentic  memorial  of  anti¬ 
quity.  The  stone  and  inscription  are  subjects  highly  interest¬ 
ing  to  the  lovers  of  antiquarian  lore,  and  to  the  curious  stu¬ 
dent. 

An  attempt  to  account  for,  decipher  and  satisfactorily  ex¬ 
plain  so  singular  a  relic,  might  seem  arrogant  in  the  extreme. 
A  few  words  will  suffice,  when  we  reflect  that  Mexico  had 
been  fully  explored  and  settled  by  Spaniards  previous  to  1521, 
and  that  those  people  always  manifested  an  insatiable  thirst 
for  gold.  Gaspar  Cotereal,  a  Portuguese,  had  explored  near¬ 
ly  the  whole  coast  of  North  America,  in  1501.  The  fishing 
grounds  of  Newfoundland  were  well  known  and  occupied  by 
the  French,  as  early  as  1505.  The  French  navigator,  Ver- 
razzini,  faithfully  examined  the  shores  of  the  United  States,  in 
1525.  De  Soto’s  memorable  campaign  commenced  in  1539 
and  ended  in  1542.  He  penetrated  as  far  north  as  the  36th 
degree  of  north  latitude,  and  explored  both  sides  of  the  Mis¬ 
sissippi  for  several  leagues.  During  his  travels,  it  is  said  he 
fell  in  with  a  party  of  northern  Indians,  who  had  with  them 
a  Spaniard  taken  from  the  party  of  Narvaez,  who  had  pro¬ 
ceeded  over  much  of  Florida,  ten  years  before.  When  these 
facts  are  taken  into  consideration,  and  the  extreme  interest 
then  felt  by  all  classes  of  men,  in  the  development  of  the  re¬ 
sources  of  the  new  world,  the  avidity  with  which  daring  ad¬ 
venturers  sought  the  most  distant  and  imaginary  sources  of 
wealth ;  and  the  avarice,  cupidity  and  desperation  of  these 
men,  it  may  not  appear  incredible,  that  a  party  of  Spaniards, 
either  stimulated  by  the  spirit  of  adventure,  or  allured  by  the 
love  of  gold,  or  driven  by  some  rude  blast  of  misfortune,  may 
have  visited  this  region,  lost  one  of  their  number  by  death, 
and  erected  this  rude  stone  with  its  simple  inscription  as  a  tri¬ 
bute  to  his  memory,  as  early  as  the  year  1520. 

On  the  hill,  about  one  mile  and  a  half  south  of  Delphi,  on 
lot  number  one  hundred,  Pompey,  are  the  ruins  of  an  old  fort 


T  O  W N  S P  O  M  P  E  Y  .—A N  T I QUI TI E  S  . 


267 


and  burying  place,  occupying  about  eight  acres  of  land.  It 
is  situated  on  an  elevated  piece  of  ground,  surrounded  by  a 
deep  ravine  made  by  two  small  streams,  which  pass  around  it 
and  unite  on  the  north,  making  the  form  of  the  elevation  tri¬ 
angular,  or  more  in  shape,  like  a  flat-iron  with  its  point  to  the 
north.  The  principal  gateway  and  entrance  was  at  the  north 
point,  and  a  smaller  one  on  the  south  side.  There  was  a 
mound  or  bastion  in  front  of  it.  The  area  of  this  place  of 
defense  was  enclosed  with  a  ditch  and  pickets,  which  can  now 
be  traced  throughout  nearly  the  whole  circumference,  a,-.  plain 
and  distinctly  as  if  but  recently  abandoned.  At  every  place 
where  a  picket  had  stood,  a  slight  depression  in  the  earth  is 
distinctly  visible.  In  one  instance,  a  large  tree  had  fallen, 
and  beneath  its  roots  a  cavity  was  exposed,  which  had  every 
appearance  of  having,  at  some  previous  time,  been  the  recep¬ 
tacle  of  a  post  over  which  the  tree  had  grown,  perhaps  one 
hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  years,  and  left  the  artificial 
post  to  decay  beneath  its  trunk.  The  timber  within  this  en¬ 
closure  was  of  smaller  growth  than  that  immediately  contigu¬ 
ous,  consisting  of  dwarf  plumb  trees,  thorns,  small  maple  and 
ash  trees,  bushes,  &c.  The  ground  was  covered  with  grass. 
In  one  corner  of  the  fort,  were  evident  marks  of  a  blacksmith’s 
shop  having  been  once  in  full  operation  there,  for  various  tools 
have  been  found  belonging  to  the  trade,  and  also  a  bed  of  cin- 
ders  and  a  deposit  of  charcoal.  Beneath  one  of  these  piles 
were  found  en  cache ,  a  quantity  of  corn,  among  which  was  a 
quantity  of  pumpkin  or  squash  seeds,  charred,  which  almost 
instantly  crumbled  to  dust  upon  being  exposed  to  the  air.  A 
short  distance  to  the  south  of  the  fort  is  the  main  burying 
ground,  which  is  quite  extensive.  One  of  the  peculiarities  of 
this  ground,  from  all  others  in  which  we  have  had  knowledge, 
is  that  the  corpses  are  buried,  one  row  with  their  heads  to  the 
west,  and  the  next  row  with  their  heads  to  the  east,  so  that 
the  feet  of  the  two  rows  were  towards  each  other,  and  very 
near  together,  with  the  arms  folded  across  the  breast.  Many 
of  these  skeletons  have  at  different  times  been  removed,  dis¬ 
entombed  to  illustrate  science  and  adorn  the  cabinets  of  the  cu- 


268 


ONONDAGA. 


rious.  The  skeletons  taken  from  here,  have  usually  been  of 
a  size  averaging  far  above  that  of  common  men.  Several 
have  exceeded  seven  feet.  Many  curious  trinkets  have  been 
disinterred  with  these  bones,  such  as  arrow-heads,  axes,  knives, 
gun-barrels,  beads,  glass  and  earthen  ware,  &c.  &c.,  similar  to 
like  named  articles  found  at  other  places  of  defense  in  this  vi¬ 
cinity.  Under  the  head  of  one  of  these  skeletons,  which  had 
been  removed  from  its  resting  place  in  1814,  was  found  a  largo 
flat  stone,  and  upon  that  a  plate  of  lead,  which  had  become 
completely  oxydized,  and  upon  exposure  to  the  air  crumbled 
to  dust.  Near  this  head  was  found  an  ink  horn  and  a  curious¬ 
ly  wrought  pen,  made  of  one  of  the  small  spurs  of  a  buck’s 
horn,  from  which  it  was  concluded  at  the  time  that  the  subject 
must  have  been  a  man  of  education,  and  his  occupation  that 
of  a  secretary  or  scribe.  Within  the  fort  was  a  large  stone 
about  four  feet  square,  upon  which  were  several  furrows  in 
regular  lines,  two  or  three  inches  apart,  an  inch  deep,  extend¬ 
ing  nearly  across  the  stone,  similar  to  those  on  a  like  kind  of 
stone  near  the  fortification  on  lot  number  thirty-three,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Hollow.  Whether  these  are  significant  of 
any  thing,  or  only  the  work  of  fancy,  we  have  not  been  able 
to  determine.  It  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  a  resort  for  shar¬ 
pening  tools,  implements,  &c.,  which  would  seem  probable 
enough,  were  it  not  that  the  stones  contain  no  grit,  and  the 
lines  are  perfectly  regular  and  similar  to  each  other.  The 
indentations  denoting  the  position  of  the  posts  or  pickets  in 
this  work,  are  about  four  feet  apart,  and  undoubtedly  the  in¬ 
terstices  were  filled  with  saplings  interwoven,  so  as  to  make 
the  whole  a  firm  and  substantial  work  of  aboriginal  defense. 
The  palisades  Avere  set  in  the  bottom  of  a  ditch,  which  the 
early  settlers  say  was  in  some  places  six  feet  deep,  when  they 
first  suav  it  forty  or  forty-five  years  ago.  This  work  is  mainly 
noAV  on  land  which  has  not  been  cleared.  This  work  is  rep¬ 
resented  by  figure  one  in  the  cut.  About  a  mile  Avest  from 
this  is  the  remains  of  another  Avork  of  similar  character,  and 
two  miles  north  of  Delphi,  in  the  town  of  Cazenovia,  on  lands 
owned  by  Mr.  William  Atwell,  is  another,  which  is  represent- 


towns  p  o :  1 1'  e  y  .—a  n  t  i  a  u  i  t  i  e  s  . 


269 


There  is  another  site  of  an  ancient  fortification  on  a  farm 
owned  by  a  Mr.  Sheldon,  lately  owned  by  Mr.  Elihu  Barber, 
about  one  mile  north  of  Delphi,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hol¬ 


ed  in  the  cut  figure  two.  So  common  are  works  of  this  de¬ 
scription  in  this  neighborhood,  and  so  extensive  are  the  deposi¬ 
tories  of  the  dead,  that  the  most  undoubted  evidence  exists 
that  a  numerous  population  must  have,  at  some  prior  period, 
inhabited  here. 


270 


ONONDAGA. 


low.  The  position,  appurtenances,  &c.,  of  this  locality,  so 
nearly  resemble  the  one  just  before  mentioned,  that  a  particu¬ 
lar  description  of  it  is  deemed  unnecessary.  It  is  said,  how¬ 
ever,  that  when  the  ground  was  first  plowed  a  cart  or  carriage 
wheel  was  turned  up  nearly  entire,  a  circumstance  which  has 
not  occurred  we  believe  in  any  other  locality.  Hills  of  corn 
were  once  distinctly  traceable  at  intervals  from  one  of  these 
forts  to  the  other,  nearly  the  whole  distance,  which  proves  this 
neighborhood  to  have  been  cleared  up  at  an  early  day,  as  the 
trees  now  occupying  this  ground  ore  supposed  to  be  at  least 
two  hundred  years  old,  large  and  uniform  in  size,  so  close  to¬ 
gether  as  not  to  admit  at  all  of  cultivation  between  them. 

Under  a  very  large  pine  tree,  which  had  been  upturned  by 
the  wind,  on  the  farm  occupied  by  Mr.  James  Scoville,  was 
discovered  a  large  bed  of  charcoal,  which  must  have  been  de¬ 
posited  there,  judging  from  the  size  of  the  tree,  at  least  two 
hundred  years  before.  On  his  farm,  also,  was  an  extensive 
burying  ground,  where  human  bones  of  extraordinary  dimen¬ 
sions,  have  been  exhumed. 

Mr.  William  Haskins,  who  was  the  fifth  inhabitant  in  the 
township  of  Pompey,  on  lot  number  thirteen,  in  1792,  says 
that  in  first  plowing  the  lands,  almost  every  variety  of  imple¬ 
ment  used  in  agriculture  and  the  common  arts,  was  found  in 
that  neighborhood.  They  consisted  of  knives,  supposed  to  be 
of  French  manufacture,  axes,  with  the  English  stamp,  gun- 
barrels,  some  of  them  with  a-  portion  of  the  stock  remaining, 
abundance  of  ship-spikes,  pump-hooks,  a  spy-glass,  trammel- 
hooks  and  chains,  &c.  In  one  instance  a  large  quantity  of 
musket  balls  were  plowed  up  by  the  side  of  a  rock.  The  re¬ 
mains  of  a  wheel  barrow,  with  the  irons  entire,  also  anvils  and 
vises,  unfinished  gun-barrels  and  gun-locks,  band-saws  and 
files,  fragments  of  church  bells,  &c.  On  this  ground  the  graves 
were  arranged  with  great  regularity,  side  by  side,  in  rows  of 
ten  or  fifteen  rods  in  extent ;  in  the  vicinity  were  other  groups 
of  graves,  but  not  in  regular  order.  Upon  examination  the 
body  appears  to  have  been  enclosed  in  a  wooden  or  bark  box. 
In  one  grave  was  found  two  glass  bottles.  In  plowing,  frag- 


TOWNS P OMPE  Y  .—A N  T I Q  U I T  I E  S . 


271 


ments  of  glass  bottles,  earthen  and  china  ware  were  found, 
and  a  stone,  cut  in  imitation  of  a  watch. 

There  is  a  locality  in  the  town  of  Cazenovia,  Madison 
County,  near  the  line  of  Onondaga,  on  lot  thirty-three,  town¬ 
ship  of  Pompey,  called  the  “ Indian  Fort”  It  is  about  four 
miles  south-easterly  from  Manlius  Village,  situated  on  a  slight 
eminence,  which  is  nearly  surrounded  by  a  deep  ravine,  the 
banks  of  which  arc  quite  steep  and  rocky.  The  ravine  is  in 
shape  like  an  ox-bow,  made  by  two  streams,  which  pass  nearly 
around  it  and  unite.  Across  this  bow,  at  the  opening,  was  an 
earthen  wall  running  south-east  and  north-west,  and  when  first 
noticed  by  the  early  settlers,  was  four  or  five  feet  high,  straight, 
with  something  of  a  ditch  in  front,  from  two  to  three  feet 
deep.  Within  the  enclosure  may  be  ten  or  twelve  acres  of 
land.  A  part  of  this  ground,  when  first  occupied  in  these 
latter  times,  was  called  “  the  Prairie ,”  and  is  noted  now  among 
the  old  men  as  the  place  where  the  first  battalion  training  was 
held  in  the  county  of  Onondaga.  But  that  portion  near  the 
wall,  and  in  front  of  it,  has  recently  (some  six  years  ago)  been 
cleared  of  a  heavy  growth  of  black  oak  timber.  Many  of 
the  trees  were  large,  and  were  probably  one  hundred  and  fifty 
or  two  hundred  years  old.  Some  were  standing  in  the  ditch, 
and  others  on  the  top  of  the  embankment.  There  is  a  bury¬ 
ing  place  within  the  enclosure.  The  plow  has  already  done 
much  towards  leveling  the  wall  and  ditch ;  still  they  can  be 
easily  traced  the  whole  extent.  A  few  more  plowings  and 
harrowings,  and  no  vestige  of  it  will  remain.  There  are  nu¬ 
merous  specimens  of  dark  brown  pottery  found  upon  this 
ground  now,  and  almost  every  variety  of  Indian  relic  has  been 
found  about  here,  some  of  which  are  held  in  very  high  estima¬ 
tion  by  the  owners.  One  fact  will  apply  to  this  locality,  that 
does  not  we  believe  to  any  other  of  a  similar  kind.  Two  can¬ 
non  balls,  of  about  three  pounds  weight,  were  found  in  this 
vicinity,  showing  that  light  cannon  were  used,  either  for  de¬ 
fense,  or  in  the  reduction  of  this  fortification. 

There  is  a  large  rock,  in  the  ravine  on  the  south,  on  which 
are  inscribed  the  following  characters,  thus,  IIIIIX,  cut  three- 


272 


ONONDAGA. 


quarters  of  an  inch  broad,  nine  inches  long,  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  deep,  perfectly  regular,  and  the  lines  straight.  Whether 
it  was  a  work  of  fancy,  or  had  significance,  we  have  not  been 
able  to  determine.  On  the  site  of  the  village  of  Cazenovia, 
we  have  been  informed,  there  was  a  fort  or  embankment. 
Some  persons  say  it  was  “  roundish ,”  others  that  it  was  “  an¬ 
gular  with  sides  at  right  angles Recollections  respecting  it 
are  very  imperfect.  Mo.ny  relics  have  been  found  here,  indi¬ 
cating  an  earlier  occupancy  than  those  usually  found  in  this 
county.  This  was  on  the  Oneidas’  territory.  There  is  a  sin¬ 
gular  coincidence  in  the  location  of  the  fortifications  enumera¬ 
ted,  which  we  have  never  observed  until  a  recent  visit.  They 
are  nearly  all,  if  not  quite  all,  situated  on  land  rather  eleva¬ 
ted  above  that  which  is  immediately  contiguous,  and  surround¬ 
ed,  or  nearly  so,  by  deep  ravines,  so  that  these  form  a  part  of 
the  fortifications  themselves.  At  one  of  these,  (on  the  farm 
of  David  Williams,  in  Pompey,)  the  banks  on  either  side  are 
found  to  contain  bullets  of  lead,  as  if  shot  across  at  opposing 
forces.  The  space  between,  may  be  about  three  or  four  rods, 
and  the  natural  cutting  twenty  or  twenty-five  feet  deep.  This 
goes  far  to  prove  the  care  these  architects  had  in  selecting  the 
most  favorable  situations  for  defense,  and  the  fear  and  expec¬ 
tation  they  were  in  of  attacks.  We  are  of  opinion  that  the 
fortifications  in  this  neighborhood  are  not  more  ancient  than 
the  period  of  the  French  settlement  of  missionaries  among 
the  Onondagas,  during  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  cen¬ 
tury.  But  the  more  we  investigate  this  subject,  the  more  we 
are  convinced  that  there  were  many  more  of  the  French  es¬ 
tablished  here  among  the  Indians  by  far,  than  has  been  gen¬ 
erally  supposed,  and  their  continuance  with  them  longer,  for 
it  was  a  leading  feature  in  the  policy  of  the  early  French 
Governors  of  Canada,  and  of  the  French  nation,  not  only  to 
christianize  the  natives  by  the  introduction  of  missionaries 
among  them,  but  also  to  colonize  their  country.  The  nature 
of  the  articles  found,  utensils  of  farmers  and  mechanics,  hoes, 
axes,  horse-shoes,  hammers,  blacksmiths’  tools,  &c.,  go  to 
prove  that  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts,  were  practiced 


TOW  NS.-P  O  M  P  E  Y— A  NTIQUITIES. 


273 


somewhat  extensively  during  their  sojourn.  The  Indian  name 
by  which  the  country  in  and  about  Pompey  was  anciently 
known,  we  think  goes  to  substantiate  this  fact,  Ote-ge-ga-ja- 
ke — an  open  place,  with  much  grass,  an  opening,  or  prairie. 
The  timber  in  many  places  here,  has  a  vigorous  growth ;  and 
although  large,  there  is  a  uniformity  in  the  size  and  age,  which 
shows  that  it  has  all  grown  up  since  the  occupancy,  because 
under  the  trees  are  not  only  found  relics,  but  among  them,  in 
many  instances,  corn-hills  can  be  traced  at  considerable  dis¬ 
tances.  That  the  appearance  of  corn-hills  in  a  wilderness, 
after  a  lapse  of  so  many  years  may  appear  less  strange,  it 
may  be  well  to  remark,  that  the  Indian  mode  of  planting,  for¬ 
merly,  varied  materially  from  that  of  the  whites.  Their  man¬ 
ner  was  to  plant  three  hills  near  each  other,  and  raise  quite  a 
mound  around  them,  and  plant  the  same  mound  for  a  series 
of  years,  and  these  mounds  are  the  corn-hills  noticed  at  the 
present  day. 

The  presentation  of  medals  to  the  Indians  was  undoubtedly 
a  very  common  practice  with  the  missionaries  and  traders.  A 
valuable  cross  of  gold  was  several  years  ago  found  in  the  west 
part  of  Pompey,  and  was  sold  for  thirty  dollars.  The  signifi¬ 
cant  “i.  H.  s.”*  was  upon  it.  Numbers  of  crucifixes  and 
crosses  have  been  found.  Brass  crosses  are  frequently  found, 
with  those  letters,  and  the  initials  of  the  latin  title  put  upon 
the  cross  at  the  crucifixion,  “  I.  N.  R.  i.,”f  and  so  are  medals 
of  the  same  metal.  One  was  recently  found,  on  the  farm  of 
David  Hinsdale,,  about  the  size  of  a  shilling  piece.  The  figure 
of  a  Roman  Pontiff,  in  a  standing  position,  in  his  hand  a  cro¬ 
sier,  surrounded  with  this  inscription  :  u  B.  virg.  sin.  P.  origi. 
con.”  which  we  have  ventured  to  write  out,  “  Beata  virgo  sine 
Peccato  originali  concepta,”  or  as  -we  might  say  in  English, 
“  The  blessed  virgin  conceived  without  original  sin.”  On  the 
other  side  was  a  representation  of  a  serpent,  and  two  nearly 
naked  figures,  looking  intently  upon  it.  This  one  is  very  per- 


*  Jesus  Hominum  Salvator,  or  Jesus,  the  saviour  of  men. 
t  Jesus  Nazarenus,  Rex  Judeaorum,  or  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  King  of  the  Jews. 
B  18 


274 


ONONDAGA. 


feet  in  all  its  parts,  and  the  letters  as  plain  as  if  struck  hut 
yesterday.  It  was  undoubtedly  compressed  between  dies.  It 
is  oval  in  shape,  and  bored  that  it  might  be  suspended  from 
the  neck. 

A  silver  medal  was  found,  near  Eagle  Village,  about  the 
size  of  a  dollar,  but  a  little  thinner,  with  a  ring  or  loop  at  one 
edge,  to  admit  a  cord  by  which  it  might  be  suspended.  On 
one  side  appears  in  relief,  a  somewhat  rude  representation  of 
a  fortified  town,  with  several  tall  steeples  rising  above  its  build¬ 
ings,  and  a  citadel  from  which  the  British  flag  is  flying  ;  a 
river  broken  by  an  island  or  two,  occupies  the  foreground,  and 
above,  along  the  upper  edge  of  the  medal,  is  the  name  Mont¬ 
real.  The  initials  D.  c.  F.,  probably  of  the  manufacturer, 
are  stamped  below.  On  the  opposite  side,  which  was  origi¬ 
nally  made  blank,  are  engraved  the  words  canecya,  Ononda- 
goes,  which  are  doubtless  the  name  and  nation  of  the  red  ru¬ 
ler  on  whose  dusky  breast  this  ornament  was  displayed,  as  a 
valuable  token  of  friendship  of  some  British  Governor  of  New- 
York  or  Canada,  to  an  influential  ally  among  the  Five  Nations. 
There  is  no  date  on  this  or  any  other  of  the  medals.  But 
this  must  be  at  least  older  than  the  Revolution,  and  probably 
more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  snows  have  whitened  the  field, 
where  the  plow  disinterred  it,  since  the  chief,  whose  name  it 
has  preserved,  was  laid  to  rest  with  his  fathers. 

In  July,  1840,  wras  found,  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  William 
Campbell,  by  his  son,  on  lot  number  three,  La  Fayette,  a  sil¬ 
ver  medal,  about  the  size  of  a  dollar,  and  nearly  as  thick.  On 
one  side  is  a  device,  surmounted  bjr  an  angel  on  the  wing, 
stretching  forward  with  its  left  hand,  looking  down  upon  those 
below  with  a  resolute,  determined  and  commanding  counte¬ 
nance.  Far  in  the  background,  is  a  lofty  ridge  of  mountains. 
Just  beneath  and  away  in  the  distance,  is  seen  an  Indian  vil¬ 
lage  or  town,  towards  which  the  angel  is  steadily  and  earnest¬ 
ly  pointing.  Above  this  overhangs  a  slight  curtain  of  cloud 
or  smoke.  Between  the  village  and  the  mountain  are  scatter¬ 
ing  trees,  as  if  an  opening  had  just  been  made  in  the  forest; 
nearer  arc  seen  various  wild  animals  sporting  gaily.  In  bold- 


■ANTIQUITIES. 


T  O  W  N  S P  OIIPE  Y 


275 


er  relief  are  seen  Europeans,  in  the  costume  of  priests  and 
pilgrims,  with  staves,  exhibiting  by  their  gestures  and  coun¬ 
tenances,  hilarity,  gladness  and  joy,  winding  their  way  up  the 
gentle  ascent  towards  the  mountain,  decreasing  in  size  from 
the  place  of  departure,  till  lost  from  view.  Among  them  are 
wheel  carriages  and  domestic  animals,  intermixed.  On  the 
right  is  a  fair  representation  of  a  cottage,  and  a  spacious  com¬ 
mercial  ware-house,  against  which  are  leaning  sheaves  of  grain. 
The  whole  is  surrounded  by  the  following  inscription  in  Dutch  : 
GEHE  AUS  DEINEM  VATTER  LAND,  1  b.  M.,  XII., 
V.  1,  and  at  the  bottom  across,  LASST  HIER  DIEGVTER. 
On  the  opposite  side  there  is  a  figure  of  the  sun  shining  in  me¬ 
ridian  splendor,  casting  its  noon-tide  rays  over  a  civilized  town, 
represented  by  churches,  stores,  dwellings,  &c.,  with  various 
domestic  animals,  and  numerous  persons  engaged  in  husband¬ 
ry  and  other  pursuits.  In  bolder  relief  stand  Europeans  in 
the  costume  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  en^a^ed 
as  if  in  animated  and  joyful  conversation  and  greetings,  and 
by  various  attitudes,  manifesting  happiness  and  joy.  On  the 
right  is  represented  a  section  of  a  church,  at  the  door  of  which 
stands  a  venerable  man,  with  head  uncovered,  with  his  hands 
extended,  as  if  welcoming  these  persons  to  a  new  and  happy 
habitation.  This  side  is  surrounded  by  the  following  inscrip¬ 
tion  :  VND  DY  SOLLT  EIN  SEEGEN  SEYN,  1  b.  Mos., 
XII.,  V.  2,  and  across  the  bottom  as  follows:  GOTT  GIBT 
SIEWIEDER. 

The  interpretation  of  the  first  side  is — Get  thee  out  from 
thy  country  and  friends,  thou  shalt  be  truly  a  blessing.  On 
the  reverse  side,  which  should  be  read  in  connection — Leaving 
thy  goods  behind  thee,  God  will  restore  them  to  thee  again. 

The  small  letters  and  figures  on  the  right,  refer  to  the  1st 
Book  of  Genesis,  XII  chap.,  verses  1st  and  2d,  which  inscrip¬ 
tion  on  the  medal  was  taken  from  those  verses  in  the  Dutch 
Bibles.  Our  translation  is  very  excellent,  though  perhaps  not 
strictly  literal,  (which  see.)  It  is  in  this  chapter  that  God 
calleth  Abram,  and  blesseth  him  with  a  promise  of  Christ ; 
promiseth  him  the  land  of  Canaan  in  a  vision,  to  which  he  de- 


276 


ONONDAGA. 


parted  with  his  kindred  and  friends  and  servants,  and  there 
budded  an  altar  unto  the  Lord.  Abram’s  first  step  was  obe¬ 
dience.  He  left  all  and  took  possession,  with  his  household, 
of  the  land  of  Canaan  ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that  the  first  in¬ 
stance  of  God’s  favor  towards  him  was  to  renew  his  promise, 
to  give  him  the  whole  land  of  Canaan,  in  place  of  the  posses¬ 
sions  he  left  behind  him,  and  to  make  his  posterity  a  mighty 
nation. 

This  medal  must  have  been  none  other  than  one  given  by 
his  countrymen  in  Father-land,  to  a  devoted  Missionary,  with 
a  party  of  followers  intending  to  spend  their  days  in  America, 
the  land  of  promise,  the  fruitful  Canaan  of  modern  times, 
who  in  the  goodness  of  his  heart,  bent  on  doing  the  work  of 
his  divine  master,  at  some  early  day  wandered  into  the  wilds 
of  the  Onondagas,  set  up  the  cross,  (the  Bethel  of  Abram,) 
and  left  this  memento  of  his  mission  in  the  hand  of  some 
Neophyte,  which  by  some  unaccountable  circumstance  has  been 
buried,  we  know  not  how  long,  hut  now  comes  to  light  to  prove 
to  us,  that  the  aborigines  of  our  country  were  a  people  whose 
spiritual  welfare  was  regarded  as  sincerely  by  the  Dutch  as 
by  their  more  ambitious  and  ostentatious  neighbors,  the  French. 
It  is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  on  this  and  all  the  other  med¬ 
als,  there  is  no  date  whereby  to  establish  their  particular  pe¬ 
riod  of  antiquity.  This  is  by  far  the  most  singular  and  in¬ 
teresting  relic  of  the  kind  which  has  come  under  our  notice, 
and  goes  positively  to  establish  a  hitherto  doubtful  point,  to 
writ,  the  early  establishment  of  missionaries  by  the  Dutch 
among  the  Onondagas.* 

The  fragments  of  a  bell  have  lately  come  under  our  notice 
found  on  the  farm  of  Isaac  Jobs,  which  when  whole,  would 
have  weighed  probably  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred 
pounds.  The  metal  is  very  fine,  and  from  appearance,  this  ar¬ 
ticle  must  have  been  of  considerable  value.  Time  and  expo¬ 
sure  have  not  changed  it  in  the  least.  When  found,  some 


#  Quere.  May  not  this  medal  be  a  relic  of  the  Zeisberger  mission  of  1750. 


TOWNS.  —  POM  PE  Y ANTIQUITIES-  277 


twenty  years  since,  it  was  broken  up,  and  the  pieces  found 
were  enough  to  make  it  nearly  entire. 

On  the  farm  of  Mr.  Isaac  Keeler,  were  the  remains  of  an 
ancient  fort  and  burying  ground.  When  Mr.  Keeler  first 
settled  here,  the  site  of  tjie  old  fort  was  an  extensive  opening 
of  about  fifty  acres,  bearing  grass,  with  clumps  of  wild  plumb 
trees,  and  a  few  scattering  forest  trees.  Mr.  Keeler  has  left 
some  of  these  plumb  trees  standing,  and  has  cultivated  them, 
and  they  yield  fruit  inferior  to  none.  On  this  opening  it  is 
said,  was  paraded  the  first  regiment  of  militia  that  was  organ- 


278 


ONONDAGA. 


ized  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  commanded  by  Major  Moses 
De  Witt.  This  ancient  remnant  of  a  fort  is  on  lot  number 
three,  township  of  Pompey,  and  was  formerly  owned  by  Moses 
De  Witt.  At  that  time  the  outlines  of  this  fort  were  distinct¬ 
ly  traceable.  It  had  been  enclosed, with  palisades  of  cedar, 
and  contained  some  ten  acres  of  land.  The  plan  was  a  plain 
parallelogram,  divided  across  the  shortest  way  through  the 
middle,  by  two  rows  of  palisades  running  east  and  west.  The 
space  between  the  rows  was  about  twelve  feet.  At  the  north¬ 
west  corner  was  an  isolated  bastion  and  an  embrasure.  When 
first  brought  under  cultivation  by  a  Mr.  William  Bends,  he 
plowed  up  many  of  the  stumps  of  palisades  of  cedar  which 
had  been  burned  off  level  with  the  ground.  Within  the  south¬ 
ern  division  of  the  fort  were  several  mounds,  the  principal 
one  of  which  was  about  four  feet  high,  rising  on  a  base  of 
about  fifteen  feet  diameter,  composed  chiefly  of  ashes,  in  which 
were  found  many  beads  of  the  size  of  bullets,  and  many  other 
trinkets  of  various  sizes  and  patterns,  made  of  red  pipe-stone. 
Several  hundred  pounds  of  old  iron  have  been  gleaned  from 
this  spot,  consisting  of  axes,  hatchets,  gun-barrels  and  locks, 
coarse  files,  horse-shoes,  large  spikes,  hammers  and  black¬ 
smiths’  tools.  The  smaller  mounds  principally  contained 
charred  corn,  many  bushels  of  which  have  been  plowed  up. 
At  a  distance  of  about  forty  rods  north  of  the  north-west 
corner  of  the  fort  was  a  ditch  perhaps  forty  rods  long,  running 
north  by  west ;  some  parts  of  it  three  feet  deep,  others  less ; 
about  six  feet  in  breadth  ;  undoubtedly  it  originally  was  much 
deeper.  From  present  appearances,  it  was  entirely  discon¬ 
nected  with  the  fort ;  but  time  has  made  such  alterations  with 
it  and  the  grounds  around,  that  at  this  late  day,  it  is  impossi¬ 
ble  to  conjecture  for  what  purpose  it  was  originally  intended. 
The  situation  of  this  ancient  fort  was  on  an  elevation  of  land, 
gradually  rising  for  nearly  a  mile  in  every  direction  ;  and  at 
the  time  of  its  occupancy,  several  hundreds  of  acres  of  land 
in  the  vicinity  must  have  been  cleared,  giving  to  the  garrison 
an  extensive  prospect.  The  grounds  occupied  by  the  fort  are 
about  fifty  rods  east  of  Mr.  Keeler’s  house,  and  are  unsur- 


TOWNS  P  OMPEY  .—A  N  T I Q.  U I T I E  S . 


279 


passed  by  any  in  the  county  for  fertility  and  beauty  of  location. 
Here  in  ancient  times,  undoubtedly  have  been  marshaled  with 
nodding  plume  and  rattling  cuirass,  the  troops  of  the  French 
side  by  side  with  the  dusky  Onondagas,  singularly  contrasting 
their  polished  European  weapons  with  the  hickory  bows  and 
hint  arrows  of  their  allies  ;  and  here  too  have  they  mingled  the 
war-whoop  of  the  savage,  with  the  Vive  le  Hoi  de  France  ; 
while  the  Black  Kobes  with  their  trembling  neophytes,  chaunt- 
ed  in  ecstacy,  Venite  Exultemus  and  Jubilate  Deo.  Seasons 
of  joy  and  festivity,  of  worship  and  praise  to  God,  passed  for 
years  over  this  land ;  the  trader  gathered  riches  from  the 
wild  forester,  and  the  warrior  fresh  laurels  rvherewith  to  en¬ 
twine  his  brow.  At  length  a  storm  arises,  the  priest,  the  war¬ 
rior  and  the  chasseur  foresee  its  portentious  gloom,  too  late 
to  flee  the  tempest,  and  too  feeble  to  withstand  the  shock. 
They  fell  victims  to  its  fury,  and  these  few  relics  are  the  only 
evidences  of  their  fate.  Fragments  of  broken  pottery,  appa¬ 
rently  used  for  culinary  purposes,  are  abundantly  found  on 
this  location.  Pipes,  flint  arrow-heads,  stone  hatchets,  mor¬ 
tars  and  pestles,  gouges  &c.,  are  also  found.  In  1813,  Mr. 
Isaac  Keeler  felled  an  oak  tree  near  the  site  of  the  fort,  mea¬ 
suring  three  feet  in  diameter.  In  preparing  the  tree  for  the 
fire,  a  leaden  bullet  was  found  covered  by  one  hundred  and 
forty-three  cortical  layers.  It  was  about  four  inches  from  the 
heart  of  the  tree,  which  must  have  been  small  when  the  bul¬ 
let  was  fired.  From  calculation,  the  time  which  has  elapsed 
since  the  bullet  assumed  its  position,  must  be  over  one  hund¬ 
red  arid  forty-five  years,  making  the  date  of  its  lodgment,  A. 
D.  1667. 

Mr.  Keeler  had  in  his  possession  a  portion  of  a  brass  dial 
plate,  plowed  up  by  him  on  the  site  of  this  fort ;  on  it  are  en¬ 
graved  in  fair  Roman  characters,  I.  II.  III.  IV.  V.  YI.  VII. 
VIII.  ;  also  a  brass  compass-box,  from  which  the  needle  had 
been  removed,  and  its  place  supplied  with  vermilion,  a  pig¬ 
ment  highly  prized  by  the  Indians  ;  and  another  more  per¬ 
fect  one  beautifully  wrought,  having  on  one  side  a  represen- 


280 


ONONDAGA. 


tation  of  our  Saviour,  and  on  the  other,  Mary  the  mother  of 
Jesus  as  represented  in  the  following  cuts : 


Also,  an  octagonal  brass  medal  nearly  an  inch  in  diameter,, 
having  a  figure  with  the  name  “  St.  Agatha ,”  and  the  Latin 
word  “  Ora”  a  part  of  the  Gregorian  chaunt.  Also  a  silver 
medal  half  an  inch  long,  with  a  figure  inscribed  u  St.  Lucia  ” 
and  the  same  fragment  of  a  chaunt.  Mr.  Keeler  has  also  an 
old  balance  beam  eighteen  inches  long,  which  perhaps  has 
often  tested  the  weight  of  the  foot  of  a  Frenchman  against  the 
red  man’s  pound  of  beaver ;  for,  like  the  ancient  Dutch  tra¬ 
ders  at  Albany,  it  was  said  the  French  made  a  foot  weigh  a 
pound.  Also  a  medal  of  lead,  oval  shaped,  an  inch  and  a 
half  long,  with  the  figure  of  a  man  suspended  by  his  out¬ 
stretched  hands,  supposed  to  be  a  representation  of  our  Sa¬ 
viour  on  the  cross,  and  a  figure  of  a  serpent.  On  the  oppo¬ 
site  side  is  a  figure  of  a  man  in  a  sitting  posture,  resembling 
the  characteristic  position  of  the  native  prophets ;  or  as  some 
interpret  it,  the  devil — an  emblem  that  Christianity  will  de¬ 
stroy  all  evil.  An  iron  horse  shoe,  steel  corked,  with  three 
elongated  nail  holes  on  each  side.  The  peculiar  workmanship 
of  this  shoe,  its  clumsiness  and  spread,  and  the  little  skill 
which  it  evinces  in  the  making,  denotes  it  clearly  to  be  the 
workmanship  of  a  Canadian  blacksmith,  precisely  like  those 
witnessed  at  the  present  day  in  that  country,  and  intended 


TOWNS P O M P  E  Y.— A N T  I  Q U  ITT  E  S . 


281 


only  for  the  unfarriered  hoofs  of  the  Canadian  horse.  It  is 
the  roughest  specimen  of  the  craft  that  can  be  imagined. 
This  is  a  specimen  of  several  which  have  been  exhumed  in 
this  country,  all  of  which  are  of  the  rudest  workmanship. 
Several  years  ago  a  curious  brass  plate  probably  used  for  a 
shield,  was  plowed  up  ;  it  was  oval  shaped,  and  about  eighteen 
inches  in  diameter  the  longest  way.  Here  are  also  found 
sword  guards,  fragments  of  the  blades,  gun  locks,  surgeons’ 
instruments,  saws,  bracelets  for  the  wrists  three  inches  broad, 
of  brass  highly  wrought,  and  many  other  curious  articles. 

In  many  places  within  this  fort  and  in  its  vicinity,  were 
found  numerous  pits  for  hiding  en  cache ,  corn  and  other  arti¬ 
cles  by  the  occupants  from  their  enemies,  or  as  a  temporary 
place  of  deposit  during  their  hunting  excursions.  Skeletons 
have  been  found  in  these  places  of  deposit,  some  of  them  of 
extraordinary  size.  The  jaws  of  some  of  them  would  fit 
easily  over  that  of  any  common  man.  Mr.  Keeler  has  a  por¬ 
tion  of  a  jaw  in  which  are  double  teeth  at  least  one-third  lar- 
ger  than  those  of  an  ordinary  man. 

On  Mr.  Samuel  A.  Keene’s  land,  are  mounds  containing 
human  bones  ;  also  burying  grounds  all  along  on  the  west  side 
of  the  creek,  on  Mr.  Jeremiah  Gould’s  land,  upon  which  are 
found  almost  every  variety  of  Indian  relic.  On  the  grounds 
of  Mr.  Keene  have  been  found  several  strings  of  very  fine 
glass  beads,  of  red,  blue  and  white  colors,  and  others  striped 
and  variegated ;  also  numerous  little  bells,  such  as  are  some¬ 
times  used  by  the  Romish  priesthood.  Fish  hooks  have  also 
been  picked  up  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  fort,  and  steels  for 
producing  fire  with  tinder.  Mr.  Keene  has  a  brass  compass 
box,  screw  top,  and  a  little  brass  kettle  which  holds  about  a 
pint,  all  plowed  up  on  his  land.  Brass  crosses  have  frequently 
been  plowed  up,  and  some  of  the  most  perfect  and  highest 
finished  ones,  have  over  the  head  of  the  Saviour,  the  letters 
I.  N.  R.  i.  Most  of  the  crosses  found  in  other  places  have  the 
letters  I.  n.  s. 

But  the  most  rare  and  singular  relic  which  has  come  to 
our  observation,  is  an  iron  bombshell,  about  the  size  of  a  six 


ONONDAGA. 


» 


pound  ball,  weighing  two  and  three-fourths  pounds.  This 
was  plowed  up  on  the  land  of  Mr.  Keene,  and  is  believed  to 
be  the  only  article  of  the  kind  which  has  been  found.  Can¬ 
non  balls  of  small  size  have  been  found  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Pompey. 

These  relics  certainly  prove  that  light  cannon  were  in  use 
at  these  places  of  fortification.  From  the  great  number  of 
gun  barrels,  crosses,  axes,  &c.,  found  about  here,  it  is  certain 
that  armed  bodies  of  men  in  considerable  numbers,  have  oc¬ 
cupied  these  grounds  ;  and  that  from  the  mutilated  condition 
of  the  guns,  the  broken  axes,  jammed  kettles,  and  injured 
state  of  every  thing  contributing  to  defense  and  comfort,  they 
must  have  been  exterminated  or  forcibly  driven  away.  That 
these  are  the  remains  of  the  French  Jesuits  and  traders  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  there  is  not  a  doubt.  Everything 
goes  to  substantiate  the  fact.  Enough  of  their  history  has 
been  related  in  the  foregoing  pages,  to  settle  the  question  be¬ 
yond  dispute.  The  forts,  relics,  utensils,  mounds,  caches , 
burying  grounds,  &c.,  are  similar  in  every  direction,  and 
bear  marked  evidence  of  former  occupancy  by  man  in  a  civi¬ 
lized  state,  and  in  a  former  age.  Like  evidences  occur  also 
in  De  Witt,  Camillus  and  Manlius.  Were  all  the  records  in 
Christendom  totally  destroyed,  there  still  remains  the  most 
unquestionable  evidences  of  the  presence  of  civilization  in  this 
land,  in  the  metallic  arms,  implements  and  utensils  of  the  sol¬ 
dier,  the  artizan,  the  mechanic  and  farmer,  succeeding  a  more 
rude  era,  in  which  arts,  agriculture  and  war  were  carried  on 
with  implements  of  wood,  stone,  clay  and  shells. 


La  Fayette. — This  town  was  organized  in  April,  1825, 
and  was  taken  from  the  towns  of  Pompey  and  Onondaga.  It 
was  named  after  the  Marquis  De  La  Fayette. 

That  portion  of  La  Fayette,  taken  from  Ononda.ga,  was 
purchased  by  the  State,  of  the  Onondaga  Indians,  in  1817, 
and  in  1822  was  sold  to  the  white  settlers.  There  are  now,  with¬ 
in  the  bounds  of  the  town,  six  thousand  four  hundred  acres 
of  land,  belonging  to  the  Indians,  not  taxable.  The  town 


T  O  W  N  S  . — L  A  FAYETTE. 


2S3 

contains  twenty-eight  thousand  two  hundred  acres.  It  has 
an  elevated  ridge  running  north  and  south,  nearly  through 
the  center,  with  a  valley  on  the  east  and  on  the  west,  extend¬ 
ing  its  whole  length.  The  former  is  called  Sherman  Hollow, 
after  James  Sherman,  and  the  latter  Christian  Hollow,  after 
Michael  Christian,  who  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  and  drew 
lot  number  eighteen,  township  of  Tally,  and  was  one  of  the 
few  who  enjoyed  the  fruits  of  their  suffering  and  toil,  by  ta¬ 
king  possession  of  the  land,  for  which  they  served.  It  is 
scarcely  possible  to  find  more  beautiful  scenery,  than  is  pre¬ 
sented  to  the  view,  by  looking  down  upon  this  hollow,  from 
the  high  ground  along  the  road,  leading  from  Tully  to  La 
Fayette.  The  distance  is  just  sufficient  to  obscure  imper¬ 
fections,  while  its  contiguity  is  such,  that  its  peculiar  beau¬ 
ties  strike  the  beholder  with  the  fulness  of  its  grandeur. 

*  Some  of  the  first  settlers  and  original  inhabitants  of  this 
town  are  as  follows  :  John  "YV ilcox,  who  lived  a  little  east  ol  the 
Indian  orchard,  on  “  Haskins’  Hill,”  was  the  first  white  set¬ 
tler  in  town,  came  here  in  1791,  and  located  on  lot  number 
thirteen,  Pompey,  and  boarded  the  surveyors  who  “  lotted ” 
the  townships  of  Tully,  Pompey  and  Manlius.  When  the 
first  settlement  was  made,  there  was  on  this  lot,  an  extensive 
Indian  orchard,  occupying  some  twenty  acres  or  more  of 
ground.  The  trees  were  somewhat  regularly  laid  out,  and  at 
that  time  were  very  productive.  At  an  early  day,  it  was  a 
place  very  much  resorted  to  for  its  fruit,  it  then  being  the  only 
orchard  of  any  note  in  all  the  country.  People  came  from 
many  miles  around,  in  Autumn,  to  the  “  old  Indian  orchard , 
for  its  valuable  produce,  and  the  occupant  made  the  sale  of  it 
quite  a  profitable  business.  This  orchard  was  located  on  a 
commanding  eminence,  now  owned  by  Mr.  Cornelius  A  anden- 
burg,  on  the  road  leading  from  La  layette  to  Jamesville. 
It  overlooks  a  vast  tract  of  country  to  the  north,  and  affords 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  prospects  imaginable.  At  this  time. 


*  The  author  is  indebted  to  Rev.  Geo.  E.  Delevan  for  valuable  information  re¬ 
lative  to  La  Fayette. 


284 


ONONDAGA. 


the  apple  trees,  once  in  so  high  repute,  from  which  the  red 
man  gathered  his  luxurious  store  in  bountiful  profusion,  are 
in  a  state  of  decay,  and  like  the  race  who  planted  them,  will 
soon  be  numbered  among  the  things  that  have  been. 

In  1792,  Comfort  Rounds  settled  in  LaFajmtte,  about  two 
miles  north  of  the  Center.  In  1792,  William  Haskins  came 
on,  and  gave  name  to  Haskins’  Hill.  In  1793,  came  Solo¬ 
mon  Owen,  who  built  the  brick  house  in  Sherman  Hollow, 
now  occupied  by  Calvin  Cole.  Ebenezer  Hill,  now  living, 
came  into  this  town  in  February,  1795.  In  1793,  James 
Sherman  settled  in,  and  gave  name  to  the  east  hollow.  He 
soon  after  built  a  saw-mill,  the  first  of  the  kind  in  this  town, 
on  the  Butternut  Creek.  The  next  year,  Messrs.  Isaac  and 
Elias  Conklin,  moved  to  this  town,  and  very  soon  put  up  a 
saw-mill,  and  directly  afterwards,  a  small  grist  mill,  on  what 
is  commonly  called  Conklin’s  Creek.  These  mills  are  now  in 
operation,  and  owned  by  Mr.  Elias  Conklin,  and  the  grist 
mill  is  believed  to  be  the  first  of  its  kind,  in  the  township  of 
Pompey,  erected  in  1798.  The  small  but  durable  stream,  on 
which  are  these  mills,  is  considered  a  very  valuable  one,  and 
finds  its  way  into  the  Butternut  Creek.  Below  these  mills, 
are  three  distinct  and  successive  falls,  some  sixty  or  eighty 
rods  distant  from  each  other.  They  are  enshrouded  by  a  dense 
hemlock  forest,  which  renders  the  scenery  somewhat  sombre 
and  gloomy,  yet  it  may  be  considered  highly  picturesque,  if 
not  grand.  The  several  falls  are  about  seventy  or  eighty  feet 
in  height,  each  ;  not  perpendicular,  but  just  broken  enough 
to  add  beauty  and  variety  to  the  rushing  cataracts,  as  they  dash 
their  white  foam  against  the  ragged  rocks  below.  The  stream 
is  quite  rapid  and  somewhat  broken,  above  the  mills.  The 
banks  and  bed  of  this  stream  are  of  brown  shale,  of  little  or 
no  use  as  a  building  material,  and  only  used  for  fencing. 

In  1794,  John  Iloughtaling,  Amaziah  Branch,  Benjamin 
June  and  James  Pearce,  located  in  this  town.  Mr.  June  was 
a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  His  ancestors  came  from  France, 
he  is  still  living,  and  receives  a  pension.  Samuel  Humph- 


285 


\ 


TOWNS— LA  FAYETTE. 

rey,  another  Revolutionary  patriot,  also  resides  in  this  town, 
and  draws  a  pension. 

In  1794,  Samuel  Hyatt,  Amasa  Wright  and  Reuben  Bry¬ 
an,  settled  in  town.  Mr.  John  A.  Bryan,  once  a  member  of 
the  New- York  Legislature,  Assistant  Post  Master  General, 
under  President  John  Tyler’s  administration,  and  Charge  des 
Affaires  to  Peru,  and  Auditor  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  now  liv¬ 
ing  at  Columbus,  was  his  son. 

Among  the  early  settlers  in  the  west  portion  of  the  town, 
were  Samuel  Coleman,  Clark  Bailey,  Nathan  Park,  Zenas 
Northway  and  Ozias  Northway,  who  kept  a  tavern  near  the 
Post  Office,  Archibald  and  John  Garfield,  Graudius  Cudde- 
back,  whose  widow  is  a  niece  of  Major  Moses  De  Witt ;  Wm. 
Sniffen,  Hendrick  Upperhousen,  a  Hessian  who  was  captured 
from  the  British  army,  and  John  Hill,  also  a  Hessian. 

Among  the  settlers  in  the  south  part  of  the  town,  were 
General  Isaac  Hall,  William  Alexander,  Amos  Palmatier, 
Jacob  Johnson,  Sen.  and  Jr.,  Obadiah  Johnson,  Elijah  Hall, 
Peter  Abott,  Rufus  Kinney,  Abner  Kinney  Capt.  Joseph  C. 
Howe,  who  lived  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  II.  Cole.  Dan’I 
Danforth,  first  located  in  Christian  Hollow,  in  1798,  afterwards 
bought  the  farm  now  occupied  by  his  nephew,  Thomas  Danforth. 

In  the  northern  section  of  the  town,  in  addition  to  the 
names  already  mentioned,  lived  Asa  Drake,  who  removed  from 
near  Boston.  He  distinctly  recollects  hearing  the  firing  at 
the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  He  still  survives  and  speaks  of 
the  struggles  of  the  Revolution,  and  the  privations  of  the 
wilderness,  with  a  lively  interest.  Elkanah  Hine  and  Noah 
Hoyt,  lived  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  George  Bishop. 
Joel  Canfield,  Ezekiel  Hoyt,  Job  Andrews  and  Minnah  Hy¬ 
att,  were  early  settlers  here.  Ebenczcr  Carr,  Calojius  Vinell, 
and  Joshua  Slocum,  lived  on  the  farm  now  owmed  by  E.  Y. 
W.  Dox,  Esq. ;  Col.  Jeremiah  Gould  and  Isaac  Keeler,  to¬ 
wards  Jamesville. 

In  the  vicinity  of  La  Fayette  Square,  were  Thomas,  Seth, 
Erastus  and  Sydenham  Baker,  Joseph  Smith,  Mr.  Paine,  Je¬ 
remiah  Fuller  and  Dr.  Silas  Park.  Dr.  Park’s  ride  as  a  phy- 


286 


ONONDAGA. 


sician,  was  from  Liverpool  to  Port  Watson,  Cortland  County, 
then  Onondaga,  and  from  Skaneateles  to  Cazenovia.  Dan’l 
Share,  an  earl}r  settler,  is  still  living  on  a  beautiful  spot  which 
commands  a  view  of  the  village  and  of  the  valley,  stretching 
towards  Fabius.  There  were  also  Caleb  Green,  Joseph  Ste¬ 
vens  Cole,  Paul  King,  and  Orange  King,  who  kept  a  tavern 
in  a  log  house,  and  had  for  his  sign,  which  was  nailed  to  a  tree, 
“  0.  King  !”  Joseph  Rhoades,  Gershom  Richardson,  Daniel 
Cole  and  John  Carlisle,  were  also  among  the  early  settlers  of 
this  town. 

The  Columbian  (Congregational)  Society  was  organized  in 
1804.  The  greater  part  of  the  members  who  formed  this  so¬ 
ciety,  came  from  Berkshire  and  Hampshire  Counties,  Massa¬ 
chusetts.  At  an  early  day,  religious  meetings  were  held  in 
private  houses,  by  Mr.  Amaziah  Branch,  a  Congregationalist, 
from  Norwich,  Connecticut.  He  had  studied  for  the  ministry, 
but  was  not  licensed  to  preach.  As  a  man  of  piety  and  exemp¬ 
lary  deportment,  he  was  greatly  respected.  The  present  Con¬ 
gregational  Church,  was  organized  by  Rev.  Benjamin  Bell, 
in  October,  1809.  This  interesting  transaction  took  place  at 
the  public  house  of  Stoughton  Morse,  where  the  “  Tempe¬ 
rance  House”  is  now  kept.  The  Church,  at  this  period,  con¬ 
sisted  of  fifteen  persons — five  males  and  ten  females. 

The  following  gentlemen  have  officiated  as  pastors  and 
preachers,  since  the  time  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bell ;  Rev.  Messrs. 
E.  J.  Leavenworth,  Hopkins,  Martin  Powell,  Childs,  Alexan¬ 
der  II.  Corning,  Seth  Smally,  Abraham  K.  Barr,  Parshall 
Terry  and  George  E.  Delevan. 

The  Congregational  house  of  worship,  was  erected  1819 
and  1820.  In  1844,  it  was  repaired  and  renovated  in  mod¬ 
ern  style.  It  is  located  on  the  pla  t  of  ground  (one  acre)  gen¬ 
erously  given  by  Capt.  Joseph  Rhoades  and  Erastus  Baker, 
Esq.  The  Methodist  Chapel,  on  the  east  hill,  was  erected 
about  the  year  1825.  There  is  also  a  Methodist  house  of 
worship,  at  Cardiff. 

Ten  or  twelve  years  ago,  a  chartered  high  school  was  estab¬ 
lished  at  La  Fayette  Square,  in  the  brick  house,  built  by  Mr. 


TOWNS.  — LA  FAYETTE. 


287 


Asael  Smith,  merchant,  now  occupied  by  H.  G.  Andrews,  as 
a  dwelling.  It  flourished  a  few  years  and  was  discontinued. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  La-  Fayette  Square, 
March,  1826,  Charles  Jackson,  Supervisor,  Johnson  Hall, 
Town  Clerk. 

Col.  Jeremiah  Gould  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  the 
township  of  Pompey,  (now  in  La  Fayette,)  in  1800.  Isaac 
Hall  built  the  next  in  1801.  A  Mr.  Clieeny  kept  the  first 
tavern,  a  little  before  Orange  King.  Messrs.  Rice  and  Hill, 
are  said  to  have  been  the  first  merchants  at  La  Fayette  Square, 
1802  or  1803.  In  1801,  the  State  road  from  Cazenovia  to  Ska- 
neateles,  was  laid  out  through  this  town.  Col.  Olcott,  the 
surveyor,  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  while  engaged  in  the  survey, 
and  died  at  the  house  of  Erastus  Baker.  About  this  time, 
the  inhabitants  of  this  retired  country,  were  visited  with  that 
dreadful  scourge,  the  small-pox,  which  in  many  instances 
proved  fatal. 

The  soil  of  this  town,  is  calcareous  loam,  intermixed  with 
vegetable  mold,  and  unlike  many  parts  of  the  country  the  land 
is  arable  on  the  highest  hills,  and  very  productive.  The  air  is 
pure,  the  scenery  delightful,  and  access  to  markets  and  the 
great  thoroughfares  convenient.  The  face  of  the  country  is 
favorable  to  the  enjoyment  of  health,  activity  of  mind,  com¬ 
petence  in  worldly  goods  and  domestic  comfort.  There  are 
here  no  stagnant  marshes,  no  putrid  exhalations,  no  over¬ 
grown  estates,  and  none  so  great  temptations  to  vice  as  may 
be  found  in  more  thickly  settled  localities. 

No  valuable  mineral  deposit  has  yet  been  discovered  in  this 
town.  Two  miles  south  of  Christian  Hollow  Post  Office,  a 
variety  of  iron  ore  has  been  brought  to  light,  but  is  not  con¬ 
sidered  of  much  consequence.  Lime  has  been  somewhat  ex¬ 
tensively  burned,  and  may  yet  prove  valuable  in  agriculture, 
and  for  other  purposes.  The  rocks  abound  in  shells  and  oth¬ 
er  relics  of  the  diluvian  age.  On  the  farm  of  Dr.  C.  Wil¬ 
liams  is  a  deposit  of  corals.  In  the  door-yard  of  Mr.  J.  G. 
Doughty,  are  many  petrifactions;  similiar  appearances  have 
been  noticed  in  different  parts  of  the  town.  On  the  farm  of 


288 


ONONDAGA. 


Thomas  Danforth,  are  chasms  of  great  depth,  supposed  to 
have  been  produced  by  an  earthquake. 

There  are  several  sulphur  springs  in  town  emitting  sulphur- 
eted  hydrogen  gas,  which  can  be  collected  in  a  tumbler  and 
burned  by  applying  a  torch.  There  is  one  on  Chester  Baker’s 
land  near  a  pure  spring,  a  few  rods  west  of  the  centre.  One 
on  the  land  of  Elias  Rider,  in  Christian  Hollow,  which  is  with¬ 
in  a  few  feet  of  a  pure  spring.  One  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Onondaga  Creek,  which  is  said  to  have  been  considerably 
agitated  a  few  years  ago  by  an  earthquake.  Within  a  few 
rods  of  this  is  a  pure  spring  and  a  chalybeate  spring.  There 
is  a  sulphur  spring  on  the  Indian  road  towards  the  council- 
house,  one  on  Dr.  Williams’  land,  another  near  Alcott’s  saw¬ 
mill,  in  Sherman  Hollow,  and  another  in  a  ravine  near  Cal¬ 
vin  Coles’.  These  springs  are  sometimes  used  medicinally. 
There  is  a  saline  spring  a  few  rods  east  of  Ebenezer  Hill’s 
residence.  To  these  several  springs  at  an  early  day,  deer 
used  frequently  to  resort. 

The  east  branch  of  the  Onondaga  River  rises  in  Tally, 
passes  through  Christian  Hollow  and  Onondaga  Village, 
emptying  into  Onondaga  Lake. 

Through  Sherman  Hollow  runs  Butternut  Creek,  which 
rises  in  Eabius  and  Pompey,  passing  through  Jamesville  and 
Orville,  uniting  with  the  Limestone  and  Chittenango  Creeks, 
thence  into  Oneida  Lake. 

This  town  was  remarkable  for  the  abundance  of  its  game. 
Bears,  wolves,  foxes  and  wild  cats,  were  every  where  numer¬ 
ous  ;  and  instances  are  still  related  of  their  having  been  fre¬ 
quently  destroyed.  They  often  did  mischief  among  the  flocks 
of  the  early  settlers. 

Deer  were  very  numerous,  and  were  often  seen  in  herds  of 
twenty  or  thirty. 

According  to  the  last  census,  we  have  the  following  statis¬ 
tics  for  La  Fayette  : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  2,527.  Number  of  inhabitants 
subject  to  military  duty,  204  ;  voters,  606  ;  aliens,  36  ;  pau¬ 
pers,  2  ;  children  attending  common  schools,  737 ;  acres  of 


TOWNS  . — M  ARCELLUS. 


289 


improved  land,  16,857  ;  grist  mills,  4;  sawmills,  18;  fulling 
mills,  2 ;  carding  machines,  2  ;  asheries,  1 ;  clover  mills,  1 ; 
tanneries,  2.  Churches. — Congregational  or  Presbyterian,  1 ; 
Methodist,  2;  common  schools,  13;  taverns,  5;  stores,  4; 
farmers,  392 ;  merchants,  5 ;  manufacturers,  7 ;  mechanics, 
66 ;  clergymen,  2  ;  physicians,  4. 

Marcellus*  was  one  of  the  townships  number  nine  of  the 
Military  Tract,  and  also  one  of  the  eleven  towns  formed  at 
the  organization  of  the  county,  in  1794.  It  then  compre¬ 
hended  all  of  the  townships  of  Marcellus  and  Camillus,  and  all 
of  the  Onondaga  and  Salt  Springs  Reservations  west  of  the 
Onondaga  Lake  and  Creek.  At  present  it  contains  but  about 
thirty  lots  of  the  original  township,  or  about  one-tenth  of  the 
original  town,  as  at  first  set  off.  The  first  settlements  were 
made  in  this  town  in  1794,  by  William  Cobb,  who  settled  on 
the  hill  east  of  Nine  Mile  Creek.  The  same  year  , Cyrus  Hol¬ 
comb  settled  on  the  west  hill,  and  two  families  by  the  name 
of  Bowen,  and  one  by  the  name  of  Cody,  settled  near  Clin- 
tonville,  and  Samuel  Tyler  settled  at  Tyler  Hollow.  A  family 
by  the  name  of  Conklin,  and  one  or  two  others  settled  the 
same  year  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town.  A  family  by  the 
name  of  Curtis  settled  at  Nine  Mile  Creek  in  1794,  but  did 
not  remain  long.  The  first  permanent  settlement  there,  was 
made  by  Dan  Bradley  and  Samuel  Rice,  in  the  fall  of  1795. 
They  were  joined  by  Dr.  Elnathan  Beach,  in  the  winter  fol¬ 
lowing  who  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  town  the  follow- 
ing  summer.  It  stood  near  the  late  dwelling  house  of  Curtis 
Moses.  The  second  was  built  by  Judge  Bradley,  and  the 
third  by  Deacon  Rice.  In  1806  there  wrere  but  nine  dwelling 
houses  in  the  village. 

These  settlements  made  in  different  parts  of  the  town 
prepared  the  way  for  others  ;  so  that  we  find  a  rapid  in¬ 
crease  of  population  almost  immediately.  Among  the  set- 


*  For  the  history  of  the  first  settlement  of  this  town,  the  author  has  been  great¬ 
ly  assisted  by  a  manuscript  of  the  Rev.  Levi  S.  Parsons. 

B  19 


290 


O  N  O  N  D  A  G  A . 


tiers  on  the  west  hill,  were  Nathan  Kelsey  and  Thomas  Mil¬ 
ler.  Col.  Bigelow  Lawrence  had  eight  sons  who  settled,  four 
on  the  cast  hill,  and  four  on  the  west  hill,  all  within  sight  of 
each  other.  His  sons  were  Joab,  Peter,  Bigelow,  Rufus, 
Calvin,  Jeptha,  Levi  and  Dorastus  ;  and  subsequently,  Martin 
Cossit  settled  in  the  village,  about  the  year  1798.  Samuel 
Wheadon  moved  to  the  south  hill  as  early  as  1800.  A  short 
time  subsequently,  Josiah  Frost,  Philo  Goddard,  Nathan 
Healy  and  Enoch  Cowles  settled  in  that  neighborhood.  At 
an  early  period,  there  settled  on  the  east  hill,  Caleb  Todd, 
Nathaniel  Ilillyer  and  Richard  May  ;  and  at  a  still  later  pe¬ 
riod,  Martin  Goddard,  Terrence  Edson,  Reuben  Dorchester 
and  William  F.  Bangs.  James  C.  Miilen  and  his  sons,  were 
the  first  permanent  settlers  in  the  north-east  section  of  the 
town.  He  and  six  sons,  except  one  all  died  within  a  short 
time  afterwards.  The  settlement  at  the  falls  now  called 
Union  Village,  was  commenced  in  the  fall  of  1806,  and  the 
paper  mill  now  owned  by  John  Henry,  wras  erected  1807,  and 
the  next  year  a  grist  and  saw  mill  rvere  erected. 

When  the  early  pioneers  of  this  favored  towrn  first  came  on, 
it  was  covered  with  a  heavy  burden  of  hard  timber,  with  very 
little  underbrush.  The  leeks,  nettles  and  wild  grass  afforded 
excellent  pasturage  for  cattle,  on  the  upland ;  but  the  low 
land  was  covered  with  a  gloomy  hemlock  forest,  which  pre¬ 
sented  formidable  obstacles  to  the  clearing  of  the  land,  and 
bringing  it  to  a  state  fit  for  cultivation.  Hence  the  first  settle¬ 
ments  were  made  on  the  more  elevated  portions  of  the  town. 
There  was  no  evidence  here  as  in  some  other  parts  of  the 
county,  that  any  part  of  this  town  had  ever  been  under  culti¬ 
vation.  Here  were  no  Indian  fields,  no  traces  of  ancient  occu¬ 
pancy  by  a  foreign  people,  or  evidence  that  the  soil  had  ever 
been  pressed  by  the  foot  of  man,  except  as  a  rude  hunter  in 
pursuit  of  his  game. 

Most  of  the  early  settlers  of  Marcellus  were  from  Massa¬ 
chusetts,  some  from  Connecticut  and  Vermont.  They  paid  a 
high  regard  to  religious  duties,  and  great  attention  to  the 
training  of  their  children  in  moral  and  intellectual  pursuits. 


T  O  W  N  S.— M  ARCELLUS. 


291 


The  establishment  of  schools  was  among  their  first  conside¬ 
rations.  Accordingly,  we  find  in  the  winter  of  1796-97,  only 
one  year  after  the  settlement  had  commenced,  a  school  estab¬ 
lished,  and  Dan  Bradley  the  teacher.  He  took  a  deep  inter¬ 
est  in  the  welfare  of  the  young,  and  hence  volunteered  his  ser¬ 
vices  as  a  teacher.  Tie  was  the  first  male  teacher  in  the  town¬ 
ship,  and  taught  two  successive  winters  in  a  log  school-house. 
The  summer  before,  Miss  Aseneth  Lawrence,  daughter  of 
Col.  Bigelow  Lawrence,  taught  the  first  school  kept  in  the 
town,  in  the  same  house.  This  house  was  on  the  east  hill. 
A  frame  school  house  was  soon  after  erected  on  nearly  the 
same  ground,  and  continued  to  be  occupied  until  1807  ;  after 
which,  a  school-house  was  erected  in  the  village,  and  another 
on  the  west  hill.  The  early  settlers  were  most  of  them  fa¬ 
vorable  to  religious  institutions,  and  many  of  them  prominent 
supporters.  The  people  were  generally  Congregational  or 
Presbyterian,  with  an  occasional  Baptist ;  but  all  agreed  to 
worship  together  for  a  period  of  about  twenty  years.  As  an 
evidence  that  the  early  settlers  were  favorable  to  religious  in¬ 
stitutions,  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  in  1802,  within  seven 
years  after  the  first  settlements  were  made  in  the  village, 
measures  were  taken,  preparatory  to  erecting  the  present 
house  of  worship.  The  building  materials  were  set  up  at  ven¬ 
due  ;  and  among  the  bidders,  we  find  nearly  all  the  names  of 
the  inhabitants  of  that  time.  The  church  was  organized  Oc¬ 
tober  13th,  1801,  and  the  society  was  organized  under  the 
style  and  title  of  the  “  Trustees  of  the  Eastern  Society  of 
Marcellus ,”  in  May,  1802 ;  Dan  Bradley,  Martin  Cossit,  James 
Millen,  Martin  Goddard,  Thomas  North  and  Nathan  Kelsey, 
Trustees.  Their  house  of  worship,  still  standing  and  in  good 
repair,  was  erected  in  1303,  and  was  the  first  house  of  wor¬ 
ship  erected  in  the  county.  By  way  of  renown,  it  was  then 
remarked,  that  it  was  the  only  meeting  house  between  New- 
Eartford  and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  which  was  literally  the  fact. 
Rev.  Seth  Williston  was  a  Missionary  here  in  1800,  and  sub¬ 
sequently,  Bcv.  Caleb  Alexander,  who  organized  the  society. 
The  following  clergymen  have  filled  the  pulpit,  to  wit :  Rev. 


292 


ONONDAGA. 


Messrs.  Jedediah  Bushnell,  - Cram,  Amasa  Jerome, - 

Robins,  Caleb  Atwater,  Levi  Parsons,  from  16th  September, 
1807,  and  continued  with  an  omission  of  two  years,  to  1841 — 
thirty-four  years,  and  Rev.  John  Tompkins. 

St.  John  s  Church ,  (Episcopalian)  Marcellus,  was  organ¬ 
ized  in  1824,  and  their  church  edifice  built  1832.  A  Univer- 
salist  Society  was  formed  in  1820,  under  the  style  and  title 
of  “  The  First  Universalist  Society  of  the  town  of  Marcellus;” 
Bildad  Beach,  Samuel  Johnson,  Chester  Clark,  Trustees. 
“  First  Zion  Society  in  Marcellus,”  organized  in  1822,  at 
the  house  of  David  Holmes  ;  William  Newton,  Joseph  Gilson, 
Andrew  Shephard,  David  Holmes  and  Silas  Bush,  Trustees. 

Dr.  Elnathan  Beach  came  to  this  town  as  a  practicing  phy¬ 
sician,  in  the  winter  of  1795-6.  He  erected  the  first  frame 
house  in  town,  a  year  or  two  after  he  came.  He  was  born  in 
Cheshire,  Connecticut,  educated  as  a  physician,  and  com¬ 
menced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  his  native  town,  where  he 
obtained  the  reputation  of  a  judicious  and  skilful  practitioner. 
Possessing  an  enterprising  spirit,  he  relinquished  an  extensive 
practice,  broke  away  from  his  friends  and  early  associations, 
and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  wilderness,  where  he  continued 
the  practice  of  medicine.  He  entered  considerably  into  pub¬ 
lic  life,  was  appointed  sheriff  of  Onondaga  County  in  1799, 
and  held  the  office  till  the  time  of  his  death.  He  is  repre¬ 
sented  as  being  a  very  active  man  and  zealous  in  the  pursuit 
of  what  he  deemed  a  worthy  or  important  object.  To  his  own 
family  he  was  peculiarly  kind  and  indulgent,  and  to  commu¬ 
nity,  affable  and  obliging.  He  was  extensively  known,  and 
his  merits  appreciated  throughout  the  county.  He  died  in 
1801,  in  the  midst  of  usefulness,  at  the  age  of  forty  years, 
affectionately  beloved  and  sincerely  lamented  as  an  irrepara¬ 
ble  loss  to  the  infant  settlement. 

Nine  Mile  Creek  is  the  principal  and  only  stream  of  note 
in  this  town.  It  drains  the  Otisco  La.ke,  and  passes  through 
this  town  from  south  to  north.  It  received  its  name  from  the 
fact  that  it  is  nine  miles  from  Onondaga,  which  at  the  time 
the  first  settlements  were  made  at  the  Creek,  was  the  nearest 


TOWNS.— MAR  CELLUS. 


•m 

settlement  on  the  east,  and  nine  miles  to  Buck’s,  tl. .  next  set¬ 
tlement  west.  It  is  supposed  by  many  that  it  received  its 
name  from  its  being  nine  miles  long,  but  this  cannot  possibly 
be  the  case,  as  it  is  more  than  twice  that  distance  in  length. 

This  stream  affords  great  facilities  for  water  power,  and  is 
capable  of  carrying  a  large  amount  of  machinery.  The  first 
erection  on  this  stream  was  a  saw  mill,  by  Samuel  Rice  and 
Dan  Bradley,  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  1795  and  1796.  It 
stood  a  little  above  the  present  stone  mill  of  Mr.  Talbot.  It 
was  built  at  great  disadvantage  and  expense.  The  inhabitants 
were  so  few  that  the  proprietors  of  the  mill  had  to  send  to 
Camillus  for  help  to  assist  at  the  raising.  It  was  finally  raised 
after  considerable  labor,  and  proved  a  great  help  to  the  com¬ 
munity  in  which  it  was  located.  For  several  years  there  was 
no  grist  mill  in  the  place,  and  the  inhabitants  had  to  go  to 
Manlius,  fifteen  miles,  or  to  Seneca  Falls,  twenty-five  miles, 
which  usually  took  two  or  three  days.  Mr.  May  and  Mr. 
Sayles  erected  a  grist  mill  near  the  before  mentioned  saw  mill, 
in  1800,  which  greatly  relieved  the  people,  and  for  several 
years  it  did  all  the  custom  work  of  the  town,  and  part  of  On¬ 
ondaga  and  Camillus.  Since  this,  the  increase  of  machinery 
and  mills  has  been  considerable,  and  this  stream  is  capable  of 
much  further  improvement. 

In  1796,  Dr.  Elnathan  Beach  opened  a  store  in  the  village, 
and  kept  for  sale  dry  goods,  groceries  and  medicines.  He 
continued  in  trade  till  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1801.  Lem¬ 
uel  Johnson  succeeded  Dr.  Beach,  and  built  a  new  store.  Dea¬ 
con  Samuel  Rice  kept  the  first  tavern  in  town  soon  after  he 
came  on.  He  was  succeeded  by  General  Humphreys,  and  he 
by  William  Goodwin.  A  Post  Office  Avas  established  at  Mar- 
cellus  1799,  and  Dr.  Elnathan  Beach  appointed  Post  Master. 
Samuel  Tyler  Avas  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1799 ;  perhaps 
before. 

The  early  records  of  this  toAvn  have  been  destroyed  by  fire, 
a  thing  to  be  regretted,  so  that  there  are  no  means  of  knoAV- 
ing  Avho  the  earliest  town  officers  Avere.  They  haAre  no  record 
further  back  than  1830. 


294 


ONONDAGA. 


By  the  act  of  1794,  we  find  the  first  town  meeting,  ordered 
to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Moses  Carpenter,  and  it  is  presumed 
it  was  so  held.  The  house  was  about  a  mile  east  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  village  of  Elbridge.  By  the  record  of  the  Board  of  Su¬ 
pervisors,  we  find  William  Stevens  Supervisor  from  1794  to 
1797  ;  Samuel  Tyler,  Supervisor  in  1797,  and  Winston  Day 
in  1798.  The  voters  of  Marcellus  thought  it  rather  a  hard¬ 
ship  to  go  down  to  Camillus,  and  finally,  in  1796,  rallied  all 
their  available  force,  and  by  out-voting  the  Camillus  people, 
carried  the  next  town  meeting  up  to  Marcellus,  so  that  the 
town  meeting  for  1797  was  first  held  in  this  town,  at  the  house 
of  Samuel  Rice.  The  house  was  a  log  one,  and  stood  nearly 
opposite  to  the  house  now  belonging  to  William  Leonard. 
Samuel  Bishop  opened  the  first  law  office  in  town,  1801,  and 
B.  Davis  Noxon  the  next,  in  1808. 

Rachel  Baker.— Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  case  of 
devotional  somnium,  on  record,  is  that  of  Miss  Rachel  Baker, 
formerly  of  this  town.  A  full  history  of  her  case  may  be 
found  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Physico-Medical  Society  of 
New-York,  vol.  1,  p.  395. 

Dr.  Samuel  L.  Mitchell,  in  describing  her  case,  and  who 
gave  it  a  thorough  investigation,  thus  remarks.  “  The  latter 
of  these  remarkable  affections  of  the  human  mind,  somnium 
cum  religione,  belongs  to  Miss  Rachel  Baker,  who  for  several 
years  has  been  seized  with  somnium  of  a  religious  character, 
once  a  day  with  great  regularity.  These  daily  paroxysms  re¬ 
cur  with  wonderful  exactness,  and  from  long  prevalence  have 
become  habitual.  They  invade  her  at  early  bed  time,  and  a 
fit  usually  lasts  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  A  paroxysm  has 
been  known  to  end  in  thirty-five  minutes,  and  to  continue 
ninety-eight.  The  transition  from  a  waking  state,  to  that  of 
somnium,  is  very  quick,  frequently  in  fifteen  minutes,  and 
sometimes  even  less.  After  she  retires  from  company,  in  the 
parlor,  she  is  discovered  to  be  occupied  in  praising  God  with 
a  distinct  and  sonorous  voice.  Her  discourses  are  usually 
pronounced  in  a  private  chamber,  for  the  purpose  of  deliver¬ 
ing  them  with  more  decorum  on  her  own  part,  and  with  great- 


TOWNS M  ARCELLUS. 


295 


er  satisfaction  to  her  hearers.  She  has  been  advised  to  take 
the  recumbent  posture.  Her  face  being  turned  towards  the 
heavens,  she  performs  her  nightly  devotions  with  a  consistency 
and  fervor,  wholly  unexampled  in  a  human  being,  in  a  state 
of  somnium.  Her  body  and  limbs  are  motionless ;  they  stir 
no  more  than  the  trunk  and  extremities  of  a  statue  ;  the  only 
motion  the  spectator  perceives,  is  that  of  her  organs  of  speech, 
and  an  oratorical  inclination  of  the  head  and  neck,  as  if  she 
was  intently  engaged  in  performing  an  academic  or  theologi¬ 
cal  exercise.  According  to  the  tenor  and  solemnity  of  the 
address,  the  attendants  are  affected  with  seriousness.  She 
commences  and  ends  with  an  address  to  the  throne  of  grace, 
consisting  of  proper  topics  of  submission  and  reverence,  of 
praise  and  thanksgiving,  and  of  prayer  for  herself,  her  friends, 
the  church,  the  nation,  for  enemies  and  the  human  race  in 
general.  Between  these,  is  her  sermon  or  exhortation.  She 
begins  without  a  text,  and  proceeds  with  an  even  course  to 
the  end,  embellishing  it  sometimes  with  fine  metaphors,  vivid 
descriptions  and  poetical  quotations.  There  is  a  state  of  body 
felt,  like  groaning,  sobbing  or  moaning,  and  the  distressful 
sound  continues  from  two  minutes  to  a  quarter  of  an  hour. 
This  agitation  however,  does  not  wake  her ;  it  gradually  sub¬ 
sides  and  passes  into  a  sound  and  natural  sleep,  which  contin¬ 
ues  during  the  remainder  of  the  night.  In  the  morning  she 
wakes  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  and  entirely  ignorant  of 
the  scenes  in  which  she  has  acted.  She  declares  she  knows 
nothing  of  her  nightly  exercises,  except  from  the  information 
of  others.  With  the  exception  of  the  above  mentioned  agita¬ 
tion  of  the  body  and  exercise  of  mind,  she  enjoys  perfect 
health.  In  October,  1814,  Miss  Baker  was  brought  to  New- 
York  by  her  friends,  in  hopes  that  her  somnial  exercises 
(which  were  considered  by  some  of  them,  as  owing  to  disease) 
might  by  the  exercise  of  a  journey,  and  the  novelty  of  a 
large  city,  be  removed.  But  none  of  these  means  produced 
the  desired  effect.  Her  acquaintances  stated  that  her  somnial 
exercises  took  place  every  night  regularly,  except  in  a  few  in¬ 
stances,  when  interrupted  by  severe  sickness,  from  the  time 


29G 


ONONDAGA. 


they  commenced,  in  1812.  In  September,  1816,  Dr.  Spears, 
b}r  a  course  of  medical  treatment,  particularly  by  the  use  of 
opium,  prevented  a  recurrence  of  her  nightly  exercises. 

The  parents  of  Miss  Baker  were  pious  a*id  early  taught 
her  the  importance  of  religion ;  she  was  born  at  Pelham, 
Mass.,  May  29th,  1794.  At  the  age  of  nine  years,  her  pa¬ 
rents  moved  with  her  to  the  town  of  Marcellus,  from  which 
time,  she  said  she  had  strong  convictions  of  the  importance  of 
eternal  things,  and  the  thoughts  of  God  and  eternity  would 
make  her  tremble.” 

By  degrees,  her  mind  became  more  and  more  agitated,  and 
nightly  had  conversations  in  her  sleep,  till  at  length,  these 
assumed  a  regular  devotional  and  sermonizing  form,  and  none 
who  ever  witnessed,  doubted  they  were  the  genuine  fruits  of 
penitence,  piety  and  peace. 

ITon.  Dan  Bhadley — was  a  son  of  Jabez  and  Esther  Brad¬ 
ley.  ITe  was  born  at  Mount  Carmel,  (since  Haddam,)  New 
Haven  County,  Connecticut,  10th  June,  1767.  He  received 
a  classical  education,  at  Yale  College.  He  entered  that  cele¬ 
brated  institution  in  his  nineteenth  year.  Four  years  after¬ 
wards,  on  the  9th  of  September,  1789,  he  graduated  w7ith  dis¬ 
tinguished  academic  honors,  and  received  his  master’s  degree 
out  of  course,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three.  In  October,  1790, 
he  was  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel,  by  the  association  of 
New  Haven  County,  and  the  same  month,  viz.  21st  day  of 
October,  1790,  was  married  to  Miss  Eunice  Beach.  On  the 
11th  of  January,  1792,  he  was  ordained  at  Haddam,  Connec¬ 
ticut,  to  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  Church  at  Whitestown, 
New  Hartford.  In  the  month  of  February  following,  he  re¬ 
moved  his  family  to  that  place,  and  took  charge  of  this  new 
congregation  and  parish,  and  continued  his  pastoral  care  of 
this  Hock  nearly  three  years.  Pie  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Johnson.  On  the  occasion  of  the  induction  of  Mr.  John¬ 
son  to  his  pastoral  office,  and  in  honor  of  the  event,  was  given, 
(after  the  solemn  services  of  the  ordination  at  Church,)  a  grand 
“  Ordination  Ball."  Singular  as  this  may  appear  at  the  pres¬ 
ent  day,  it  was  a  custom  then  practiced  by  our  Puritan  fathers, 


TOWNS.-  MAR  CELL  US. 


297 


who  on  any  other  occasion  would  have  thought  it  exceedingly 
sinful,  and  perhaps  a  mode  of  religious  rejoicing,  which  in  this 
degenerate  age  of  godly  alienation,  might  be  thought  rather 
questionable. 

In  January,  1795,  Rev.  Dan  Bradley  was  dismissed  from 
the  pastoral  charge  of  the  Church  in  Whitestown,  at  New 
Hartford,  and  the  6th  of  September  following,  removed  with 
his  family  to  the  town  of  Marcellus,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine. 
The  country  was  then  comparatively  a  wilderness.  He  en¬ 
tered  at  once  into  the  business  of  farming,  with  zeal  and  cheer¬ 
fulness,  and  soon  became  noted  for  the  purity  of  his  taste,  and 
success  of  his  undertakings,  setting  a  beautiful  example  to 
those  around  him,  that  education  and  refinement  of  mind  were 
essential  attributes  to  happiness  and  prosperity.  He  was  ap¬ 
pointed  a  Judge  of  Onondaga  County  Courts,  in  1801,  and 
by  his  display  of  legal  knowledge,  soon  became  somewhat  dis¬ 
tinguished  as  a  Jurist.  In  1808,  he  was  appointed  First  Judge 
of  the  County,  which  office  he  held  with  some  degree  of  dis¬ 
tinction,  till  the  time  of  his  resignation  in  1813,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Joshua  Forman.  He  was  somewhat  remarkable 
for  his  ready  classic  humor,  and  on  many  occasions  displayed 
it  much  to  the  amusement  and  gratification  of  his  friends.  On 
a  time,  during  his  official  capacity  as  Judge,  a  certain  colored 
man,  named  Hank  Blakeman,  occupied,  on  the  Oswego  River, 
just  above  Oswego  Falls,  a  commodious  place  for  landing,  and 
it  was  also  a  convenient  crossing  place.  For  the  privilege  of 
landing  on  his  dock,  the  colored  man  exacted  a  small  fee. 
This  was  thought  rather  oppressive  by  some  of  his  neighbors, 
who  summoned  the  Road  Commissioners  of  the  town,  who 
laid  out  a  road  in  such  a  manner  as  considerably  to  abridge 
his  privileges.  lie  feeling  himself  aggrieved,  appealed  to  the 
Judges  of  Common  Pleas,  who  upon  a  proper  representation 
of  the  facts,  took  the  matter  into  consideration.  A  day  was 
set  for  an  investigation  of  the  matter,  and  Judges  Humphreys, 
Bradley  and  Vredenburgh,  accompanied  by  the  present  Judge 
Moseley,  then  a  student  with  Judge  Forman,  at  Onondaga, 
who  went  down  as  an  advocate  of  the  aggrieved  party’s  rights. 


298 


O  N  O  X  D  A  G  A  . 


In  those  days  the  roads  were  almost  impassable  in  that  region, 
and  the  party  made  arrangements  to  go  down  in  a  boat  from 
Salina.  A  suitable  store  of  provisions  and  other  necessaries, 
was  laid  in  for  the  occasion,  and  the  party  set  off  in  high 
spirits,  anticipating  a  delightful  trip.  The  day  was  propi¬ 
tious  ;  they  glided  down  the  river  beautifully,  and  it  required 
but  little  exertion  to  make  the  desired  progress.  While  pass¬ 
ing  along  under  the  shady  oaks  and  elms  which  crowned  the 
margin  of  the  river,  Judge  Bradley  languishingly  remarked 
how  pleasant  was  their  journey,  and  quoted  the  first  verse  of 
Virgil’s  Georgies, 

“Tityre,  tu,  patuloe  recubans  sub  tegmine  fagi,”  &c. 

On  they  went,  enjoying  the  scenery  beyond  measure.  They 
examined  the  case  in  hand,  and  finally  reversed  the  acts  of 
the  Commissioners,  restoring  to  the  injured  party  his  rights  in 
full,  very  much  to  his  satisfaction,  who  was  so  much  rejoiced, 
that  he  gave,  voluntarily,  as  a  fee  to  his  young  lawyer,  five 
silver  dollars,  which  he  has  since  declared  was  his  first  and 
richest  fee,  and  gave  him  more  pleasure,  than  any  other  re¬ 
ceived  in  his  life.  Business  done,  they  turned  their  faces  to¬ 
wards  home.  But  with  the  fatigues  of  the  day,  and  the  op¬ 
posing  current  of  the  river,  their  progress  was  in  the  beginning 
rather  slow.  However,  by  dint  of  perseverance  and  hard  la¬ 
bor,  they  made  respectable  progress.  It  was  work  indeed, 
and  to  add  to  their  embarrassment,  night  was  at  hand ;  the 
musketoes,  gnats,  flies  and  bullfrogs,  gave  them  no  peace,  and 
some  of  the  party  began  to  murmur.  In  this  state  of  affairs, 
Judge  Bradley  was  called  upon  to  reverse  his  sentiment,  re¬ 
ceived  with  so  much  eclat  in  the  morning,  whereupon  he  rea¬ 
dily  replied— 

- “faciiis  descensus  Averni; 

Sea  revocare  grandum,  superasque  evadere  ad  auras, 

Hoc  opus,  hie  labor  est.” 

Which,  in  the  language  of  a  familiar  poet,  may  be  rendered, 

“Easy  the  fall  to  Pluto’s  dreary  den, 

But  hard  the  scrabble  to  get  back  again.” 

The  flagging  spirits  of  the  party  were  revived  by  this  sally, 


T  O  W  N  S M  ARCEJ-LUS. 


291> 


and  the  rest  of  the  voyage  was  performed,  if  not  with  wished 
for  speed,  with  greater  cheerfulness. 

To  return,  it  is  not  of  his  professional  career  that  we  de¬ 
signed  so  much  to  speak,  nor  of  his  character  as  a  man,  a 
Christian,  a  parent  and  a  friend,  though  in  all  these  respects 
the  only  language  could  be  that  of  eulogy.  But  it  is  of  him 
and  his  influence  as  an  agriculturist,  that  this  sketch  was 
mainly  designed. 

Always  correctly  viewing  agriculture  as  the  great  base  of 
national  prosperity,  he  devoted  himself  with  a  well  directed 
zeal,  (which  some  term  enthusiasm,)  to  a  thorough  examination 
of  the  principles  on  which  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  should 
be  conducted.  His  grand  object  was  to  reduce  the  process  of 
agriculture  to  a  science,  and  to  induce  organization  and  order 
where  confusion  and  uncertainty  prevailed.  In  his  essays  on 
the  various  subjects  which  he  discussed,  he  displayed  a  master 
mind,  deeply  imbued  with  the  principles  of  philosophy  and  ex¬ 
perience,  and  his  efforts  have  undoubtedly  had  a  weighty  influ¬ 
ence  in  improving  the  agriculture  of  our  county,  as  they  have 
greatly  enriched  most  of  the  various  agricultural  publications 
of  the  country.  In  the  New  England  Farmer,  the  Baltimore 
Farmer  and  the  Plough  Boy,  are  found  numerous  forcible  ef¬ 
forts  of  his  sagacious  and  penetrating  mind.  The  Genesee 
Farmer  owed  much  of  its  elevated  character  to  his  reflections. 
It  was  for  a  long  period  the  chosen  medium  through  which  for 
a  long  series  of  years,  the  rich  results  and  ample  experience 
of  his  mature  mind  were  presented  to  the  public.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  to  attribute  the  hoof-ail,  which  prevailed  ex¬ 
tensively  in  1820,  to  the  prevalence  of  ergot  in  the  grasses, 
and  he  collected  a  mass  of  facts  on  the  subject,  which  set  the 
matter  forever  beyond  question.  He  always  strenuously  op¬ 
posed  the  heterodox  notion  of  wheat  turning  to  chess — and 
showed  conclusively  by  science  and  experiments,  the  absurdi¬ 
ty  of  the  idea.  Indeed  there  is  scarcely  a  subject  connected 
with  scientific  or  practical  agriculture,  on  which  light  has  not 
been  thrown  by  his  labors,  a  correct  theory  established,  and 
objections  to  innovations  obviated.  Every  subject  that  prom- 


300 


ONONDAGA. 


ised  to  be  an  improvement  in  agriculture,  received  his  atten¬ 
tion,  and  if  its  claims  were  well  founded,  he  did  not  hesitate 
to  adopt  it  himself,  and  urge  its  adoption  by  others.  As  a 
patron  and  advocate  of  agricultural  societies,  he  was  among 
the  first,  and  to  his  opinions  and  influence,  many  of  the  prom¬ 
inent  advantages  derived  by  the  State  from  the  law  of  1819, 
was  uncjuestionably  owing.  He  was  appointed  President  of  the 
first  Onondaga  County  Agricultural  Society,  in  1819.  His 
numerous  articles,  published  in  the  volumes  of  the  State  Agri¬ 
cultural  Society,  and  his  contributions  to  most  of  the  agricul¬ 
tural  journals  of  the  day,  establish  conclusively,  the  interest 
he  felt  in  his  favorite  pursuit,  and  the  zeal  and  intelligence  he 
brought  to  its  support.  It  was  the  happiness  of  the  author  in 
early  life,  to  enjoy  his  acquaintance,  and  long  will  be  remem¬ 
bered  his  conversations  and  lessons  upon  this  his  favorite  top¬ 
ic.  He  died  at  his  residence,  at  Marcellus,  September  19th, 
1838,  aged  71  years.  He  died  as  he  had  lived,  at  peace  with 
the  world,  and  with  an  unshaken  confidence  in  his  God.  Such 
men  are  an  ornament  to  the  age  in  which  they  live,  and  their 
country  owes  them  an  incalculable  debt  of  gratitude. 

Statistics  of  the  town  of  Marcellus,  taken  from  the  Census 
of  1845 : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  2,649 ;  subject  to  military  duty, 
292  ;  voters,  622  ;  aliens,  48  ;  Paupers,  00  ;  children  attend¬ 
ing  common  schools,  648 ;  acres  of  improved  land,  16,169 ; 
gi’ist  mills,  9 ;  saw  mills,  10  ;  paper  mills,  3  ;  fulling  mills,  2  ; 
carding  machines,  2  ;  woolen  factories,  2  ;  tanneries,  4  ; 
Churches — Baptist,  1  ;  Episcopal,  1  ;  Presbyterian,  1  ;  Con¬ 
gregational,  1 ;  Methodist  1 ;  common  schools,  13 ;  select  do., 
8;  taverns,  3;  stores,  6;  groceries,  3;  farmers,  514;  mer¬ 
chants,  11 ;  manufacturers,  21 ;  mechanics,  131 ;  clergymen, 
3 ;  physicians,  6  ;  attorneys,  2. 


TOWNS.— SKANE  ATELES— DANIEL  KELLOGG.  301 


Skaneateles — Daniel  Kellogg. — Daniel  Kellogg,  one 
of  the  early  and  most  distinguished  inhabitants  of  the  county 
of  Onondaga,  was  born  in  Williamstown,  Mass.,  April  19, 1780. 
When  quite  young,  he  entered  a  student  of  Williams  College 
in  his  native  town ;  where  it  is  supposed  he  remained  about 
two  years  ;  as  we  find  him,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  a  student 
in  the  law  office  of  Abraham  Van  Vechten,  Esq.,  of  Albany, 
then,  and  for  many  years  after,  one  of  the  most  eminent  law¬ 
yers  in  the  State.  Here  he  laid  the  foundation  of  those  high 
legal  attainments,  for  which  he  became  so  distinguished  in  after 
life.  He  continued  in  Mr.  Van  Vechten’s  office  until  he  had 
completed  his  legal  studies,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
October,  1800  ;  a  short  time  before  he  had  attained  his  major¬ 
ity.  His  father,  a  farmer  in  comfortable  circumstances,  died 
when  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  quite  young;  and  left  to 
his  son  means  barely  sufficient,  with  rigid  economy,  to  provide 
for  his  support  and  education.  Accordingly,  when  about  to 
enter  upon  the  great  business  of  life,  he  found  himself  desti¬ 
tute  of  all  resources,  except  the  abilities  with  which  nature  had 
liberally  endowed  him, — his  profession  and  indomitable  ener¬ 
gies, — resources,  however,  which  in  the  sequel  proved  more 
valuable  to  him  than  wealth.  At  this  time  “the  far  West,” 
as  this  part  of  the  country  was  then  deemed,  held  out  alluring 
prospects  for  young  men  of  talent  and  enterprise  ;  and  thith¬ 
er  he  directed  his  course  in  the  spring  of  1801 ;  and  shortly 
after  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  the  village  of  Auburn, 
then  only  a  small  hamlet  of  a  few  scattering  houses.  In  1802, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Laura  Hyde,  of  that  place,  who  still 
survives  him. 

His  journey  to  western  New  York  was  performed  on  horse¬ 
back,  then  the  only  means  of  conveyance,  except  the  cumbrous 
lumber  wagon  only  used  for  the  transportation  of  the  house¬ 
hold  goods  of  the  adventurous  pioneers ;  and  a  single  pair  of 
saddlebags  afforded  ample  accommodations  for  all  his  worldly 
wealth,  and  that  too  without  inconvenience  to  either  horse  or 
rider.  In  after  times,  when  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  abundant 
fruits  of  his  industry  and  talents,  he  delighted  to  recount  the 


802 


ONONDAGA. 


amusing  incidents  of  this  journey,  and  to  portray  in  lively 
colors  the  vexations  and  difficulties  that  surrounded  him  in  his 
early  career. 

In  the  spring  of  1803,  he  removed  from  Auburn  to  Skan- 
cateles  in  the  county  of  Onondaga,  which  thereafter  became 
his  permanent  residence. 

Though  always  taking  a  lively  interest  in  important  public 
questions,  he  never  sought  political  preferment ;  yet,  besides 
holding  several  offices  of  minor  consideration,  .he  was  appoint¬ 
ed  in  1813  to  that  of  District  Attorney  for  the  counties  of  Cay¬ 
uga,  Chenango,  Cortland  and  Onondaga ;  the  duties  of  which 
he  discharged,  with  characteristic  ability,  for  three  years. 

In  1818  he  was  elected  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Bank  of 
Auburn ;  which  elevated  station  he  held  at  the  time  of  his 
death  ;  and  which  occurred  at  his  residence  at  Skaneateles,  on 
the  4th  of  May,  1836. 

For  eighteen  years  he  had  the  principal  direction  of  the  fi¬ 
nancial  affairs  of  the  bank,  which  he  found  in  a  state  of  almost 
inextricable  confusion.  His  talents  and  habits  of  business 
were  admirably  suited  to  the  duties  of  the  station  ;  and  he  soon 
succeeded  in  restoring  its  affairs  to  order,  and  in  establishing 
its  credit  on  a  sure  and  enduring  basis.  During  this  period, 
there  occurred  seasons  of  extreme  commercial  embarrassment; 
but  no  one  ever  doubted  the  solvency  of  the  institution  over 
which  he  presided.  His  mind,  clear  and  comprehensive — te¬ 
nacious  of  its  convictions,  and  only  yielding  to  the  force  of 
reason — profound,  rather  than  brilliant,  was  never  satisfied 
short  of  the  most  thorough  and  searching  scrutiny.  To  a  mind 
thus  constituted,  he  added  habits  of  untiring  industry,  a  love 
of  order,  observable  in  the  minutest  details,  and  an  integrity 
almost  proverbial.  Such  qualifications  could  not  fail  to  raise 
him  to  the  first  rank  in  his  profession,  to  secure  him  an  unlim¬ 
ited  measure  of  public  confidence  ;  and,  consequently,  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice. 

Mr.  Kellogg  seems  early  to  have  become  impressed  with  the 
most  enlarged  ideas  of  -the  transcendant  dignity  and  boundless 
extent  of  the  legal  science.  With  the  almost  unlimited  re- 


1 


TOWN  S.— S  KANEATE  LE  S.— D  A  N I E  L  KELLOGG.  303 

sources  with  which  nature  and  persevering  industry  had  en¬ 
dowed  him,  it  is  not  so  much  a  matter  of  surprise  that  he 
should  grapple  with  enthusiasm  the  chaotic  ambiguities  and 
subtle  refinements  of  the  law,  which  always  found  in  him  a 
faithful  expounder;  the  client  a  candid  counsellor,  justice  an 
impartial  dispenser,  and  though  the  judicial  ermine  never 
graced  his  shoulders,  none  were  more  worthy  of  its  folds. 
But  Mr.  Kellogg’s  fame  was  not  confined  to  the  arena  of  the 
Bar  ;  his  skill  as  a  financier  was  unrivalled.  Carrying  with 
him  into  all  the  vocations  of  business,  that  methodical  arrange¬ 
ment  for  which  he  was  so  distinguished  in  his  profession,  he 
triumphed  over  every  obstacle,  and  reaped  as  the  reward  of 
his  labor,  a  most  abundant  harvest. 

Few  men  in  any  station,  have  labored  more  assiduously,  or 
for  a  greater  number  of  hours  daily,  than  he  did  ;  or  who  ac¬ 
complished  more.  Still  he  was  ever  ready  to  respond  to  the 
calls  of  friendship,  and  no  man  took  greater  delight  in  the 
social  circle ;  or  could  impart  a  larger  share  to  the  fund  of 
common  enjoyment. 

As  an  advocate,  he  addressed  himself  to  the  reason,  rather 
than  to  the  imagination  and  passion ;  and  contenting  himself 
with  the  forcible  and  plain  exhibition  of  truth,  was  careless  of 
oratorical  graces  and  elegance  of  style.  As  might  naturally 
be  expected  of  a  mind  thus  constituted  and  disciplined,  his, 
was  decidedly  practical ;  and  theories,  however  specious  and 
imposing,  seldom  found  favor  with  him,  until  subjected  to  the 
searching  ordeal  and  approval  of  his  own  judgement.  With 
him,  a  verbal  promise  or  engagement  was  ever  regarded  as 
obligatory,  and  if  anything,  more  sacred  than  if  reduced  to 
writing  ;  and  the  accuracy,  considering  the  extent  and  variety 
of  his  business,  with  which  his  memory  retained  such  engage¬ 
ments  was  almost  unexampled. 

His  death,  occurring  as  it  did,  at  an  age  when  his  mental 
powers  were  still  in  full  vigor ;  and  when  many  years  of  ac¬ 
tive  usefulness  might  have  been  reasonably  anticipated,  was 
regarded  as  a  public  calamity  ;  especially  by  business  men, 
who  knew  and  could  best  appreciate  his  worth. 


30-1 


ONONDAGA. 


The  Court  of  Chancery  for  the  seventh  circuit,  was  then 
m  session  in  the  village  of  Auburn,  and  on  the  announcement 
of  his  death  by  Win,  H.  Seward,  Esq.,  the  Court  thereupon 
adjourned  to  the  next  day.  The  members  of  the  Bar  then 
formed  themselves  into  a  meeting,  and  appointing  a  commit¬ 
tee  to  report  what  measures  should  be  adopted,  expressive  of 
their  sentiments  on  the  occasion.  The  committee  consisted 
of  Messrs.  Seward,  Koxon,  Lawrence,  Bronson  and  Knox ; 
and  reported,  among  others  the  following  resolutions  : 

“  Resolved,  That  in  the  death  of  Daniel  Kellogg,  Esq.,  the 
Bar  of  this  State  are  called  to  deplore  the  loss  of  an  individ¬ 
ual,  who,  by  the  exercise  of  vigorous  intellectual  powers,  labo¬ 
rious  and  persevering  studies,  great  urbanity  of  deportment, 
and  zealous  devotion  to  the  duties  of  his  profession,  connect¬ 
ed  with  sterling  integrity  and  a  high  sense  of  honor,  had 
justly  secured  to  him,  not  only  a  distinguished  rank  among 
them, and  in  their  affectionate  esteem,  but  also  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  the  community  at  large.” 

The  other  resolutions  - embraced  a  tender  to  the  family  of 
their  “  sympathy  for  the  loss  they  had  sustained  in  being  de¬ 
prived  of  a  relative,  who  most  faithfully  and  affectionately  dis¬ 
charged  the  duties  arising  from  his  domestic  and  social  rela¬ 
tions  and  also  to  attend  in  a  body,  the  funeral  of  the 
deceased.  The  proceedings  were  signed  by  their  chairman, 
Elijah  Miller,  Esq. ;  and  secretary,  S.  A.  Goodwin,  Esq. 

To  these  sentiments,  a  numerous  class  of  friends  and  ac¬ 
quaintances,  to  many  of  whom  he  was  endeared  by  the 
recollection  of  many  acts  of  kindness,  could  most  feelingly 
respond. 

The  extent  and  variety  of  his  business  transactions,  must 
have  often  brought  him  into  colision  with  adverse  interests,  and 
it  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose  that  hostile  feelings  may  have 
been  at  times  elicited ;  yet  he  departed,  leaving  few  enemies, 
and  many  ardent  and  devoted  friends. 

Though  he  ma  de  no  profession  of  religion,  he  was  far  from 
being  insensible  to  the  great  value  of  its  sacred  truths  ;  and 
duly  appreciated  its  salutary  influence  upon  society.  Accord- 


T  O  W  N  S  . — K  A N  E  ATEL  E  S . 


305 


ingly  lie  contributed  freely  to  its  support ;  as  well  as  to  objects 
of  benevolence. 

The  intimate  connection  between  the  general  diffusion  of 
knowledge  among  the  people,  and  the  perpetuity  and  healthy 
action  of  our  political  institutions,  he  fully  understood ;  and 
was  consequently  the  efficient  friend  of  popular  education, 
discharging  for  several  years  the  duties  of  Commissioner 
of  Common  Schools  in  his  own  town,  visiting  the  several  dis¬ 
tricts,  and  taking  a  lively  interest  in  whatever  promoted  their 
usefulness. 

In  person,  Mr.  Kellogg  was  rather  above  the  common  height, 
well  formed  and  imposing,  as  well  as  preposessing  in  his  ap¬ 
pearance  and  address ;  which  was  uniformly  courteous  and 
engaging.  These,  together  with  an  open  and  intellectual 
countenance,  and  a  disposition  always  cheerful,  engaged  the 
respect  and  favorable  regards  of  those  who  approached  him.* 

Skaneateles. — This  town  was  taken  from  the  western  part 
of  Marcellus,  and  was  organized  in  1830.  It  lies  mainly  on 
both  sides  of  the  northern  half  of  the  Skaneateles  Lake,  and 
contains  about  forty  lots  of  the  original  township.  At  the 
period  of  the  survey  of  the  Military  Tract,  there  was  quite  a 
large  Indian  village  on  the  lake  shore,  south-west  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  village  of  Skaneateles ;  they  were  of  the  Onondaga  na¬ 
tion. 

The  first  white  settler  within  the  limits  of  the  present  town 
of  Skaneateles,  was  John  Thompson,  by  birth  a  Scotsman,  in 
1793.  He  located  on  lot  number  eighteen,  on  the  west  line  of 
the  township.  He  received  his  land  as  part  compensation  for 
services  rendered  as  chainman  to  the  principal  surveyor,  Moses 
De  Witt,  who  laid  out  this  part  of  the  military  bounty  lands. 
Mrs.  Thompson  was  the  first  white  woman  who  came  to  this 
town,  and  lived  here  nearly  a  year  without  seeing  a  white  per¬ 
son  except  her  own  family.  The  farm  is  now*  owrned  by  Mr. 
Amasa  Smith.  A  Mr.  Robinson  came  in  the  following  year, 
and  lived  upon  the  lake  shore.  In  1796  we  find  to  have  set- 


*  For  the  foregoing  notice,  the  author  is  under  obligation  to  Phares  Gould,  Esq. 

B  20 


30(j 


ONONDAGA. 


tied  in  this  to>vn,  Lovcl  Gibbs,  who  kept  a  tavern  in  a  log 
house,  Jonathan  Hall  and  Winston  Day.  In  1797,  Warren 
Hecox,  James  Porter,  Dr.  Hunger  ;  and  soon  after,  Dr.  Sam¬ 
uel  Porter,  Elnathan  Andrews,  John  Legg,  Moses  Loss,  John 
Briggs,  Nathan  Kelsey,  William  J.  Vredenburg,  Isaac  Sher¬ 
wood  arid  Dr.  Benedict.  Then  came  the  Kelloggs  and  Earlls, 
so  that  by  1805-6-7,  this  part  of  Marcellus  now  Skaneateles, 
was  pretty  generally  settled.  Daniel  Earll  with  his  brother 
Nehemiah,  came  from  Washington  County,  and  settled  at 
Onondaga  Hollow,  in  th  year  1792.  Nehemiah  died  in  1808  ; 
he  had  one  daughter.  Daniel  Earll  had  the  following  named 
sons,  viz.  :  Jonas,  Daniel,  Nathaniel,  Robert,  Benjamin,  Wat¬ 
son,  Nehemiah  and  Abijah.  The  two  youngest,  Nehemiah 
and  Abijah,  came  to  Onondaga  with  their  father.  Robert 
and  Benjamin  removed  with  their  families  to  Onondaga,  in 
the  winter  of  17.94-5,  and  remained  there  about  a  year.  Af¬ 
ter  Robert,  Benjamin,  Watson  and  Abijah  removed  to  Mar¬ 
cellus,  Robert  and  Abijah  settled  on  lot  number  twenty-seven, 
and  the  other  two  on  lot  number  eleven,  in  the  same  town. 

In  1802,  Jonas  Earll  came  from  Washington  County,  and 
settled  on  lot  number  nineteen,  Marcellus.  He  had  three 
sons,  viz. :  Solomon,  Jonas,  Jr.,  and  David.  Solomon  died 
several  years  ago.  Jonas,  Jr.,  died  in  October,  1846,  and 
Jonas,  Sen.,  October,  1847,  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-six 
years.  David  now  resides  in  the  town  of  Salina. 

Jonas  Earll,  Jr.  held  several  offices  of  trust  in  the  county, 
and  for  more  than  twenty  years,  was  one  of  the  leading  politi¬ 
cal  men  in  it.  He  was  a  member  of  Assembty  in  1820  and 
1821,  a  Senator  from  1822  to  1827,  and  a  member  of  the 
twentieth  and  twenty-first  Congresses,  1826  to  1830,  and  for 
several  years,  sheriff. 

Robert  Earll  had  six  sons,  viz. :  Isaac,  Robert,  Nehemiah 
H.,  Hezekiah,  Hiram  and  Ira.  Robert,  Sen.,  died  in  1831, 
and  his  son  Ira  about  the  same  time.  The  other  sons  still  re¬ 
side  in  this  county,  except  Robert,  Jr.,  who  resides  in  Wyo¬ 
ming  County.  Judge  Nehemiah  Earll  has  occupied  several 
important  stations  in  the  official  history  of  the  county,  viz. ; 


TOWNS.— SKANEATELES. 


307 


■  Judge  of  Onondaga  County  Common  Pleas,  from  1823  to 
1831,  Superintendent  of  Salt  Springs,  from  1831  to  1835, 
member  of  the  twenty-sixth  Congi’ess,  1841  and  1842. 

Daniel  Earll,  Sen.,  remained  in  the  town  of  Onondaga  un¬ 
til  1810,  when  he  removed  to  Marcellus,  and  lived  near  his 
sons  Robert  and  Abijah,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1817,  aged  eighty-eight  years.  This  numerous  and  influen¬ 
tial  family  were  of  Massachusetts  origin. 

Lovell  Gibbs  erected  the  first  frame  house  in  town,  in  Ska- 
neateles  Village,  1796,  and  Dr.  Hall,  another  the  same  year. 
In  1797,  James  Porter  erected  a  large  house,  in  which  he 
kept  the  first  tavern  in  town ;  and  the  timber  of  which  it  was 
constructed,  was  the  first  raft  that  was  ever  afloat  on  the 
Skanea teles  Lake.  Winston  Day  the  same  year  erected  a 
commodious  frame  building  for  a  store,  and  in  it  kept  the  first 
store  of  goods  in  the  town.  He  was  set  up  in  trade  by  Judge 
Sanger. 

In  these  primitive  times,  the  means  of  subsistence  were 
sometimes  scanty  and  precarious.  Provisions  were  obtained 
mostly  from  the  towns  of  Aurelius  and  Scipio,  which  had  been 
settled  somewhat  earlier,  and  were  then  in  Onondaga  County. 
In  1799,  Warren  Hecox,  who  is  still  living,  remarks,  that 
there  was  an  uncommon  scarcity  of  grain,  that  he  had  to  send 
to  Scipio,  twenty  miles,  and  gave  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
for  one  bushel  of  wheat,  and  he  could  only  raise  money  enough 
to  purchase  a  single  bushel  at  a  time.  He  hired  a  horse  at 
fifty  cents  a  day,  and  sent  a  boy  eighteen  miles,  to  Montville, 
in  Sempronius,  to  get  the  bushel  ground,  which  took  two  days. 
The  mills  having  stopped  running  at  Auburn  and  Camillus 
on  account  of  the  great  drought  of  that  season.  His  was  not 
a  solitary  case,  his  neighbors  were  in  the  same  predicament, 
and  some  even  worse  off;  for  they  could  get  neither  money 
nor  wheat. 

The  markets  for  produce,  after  the  people  had  prospered 
so  as  to  procure  a  surplus,  were  Albany  and  Utica.  It  took 
a  horse  team  in  those  times,  fourteen  days  to  make  the  jour¬ 
ney  to  Albany  and  back  with  a  load,  and  often  longer  ;  and 


308 


ONONDAGA. 


an  ox  team  the  same  time  to  Utica,  taking  a  load  of  potash 
down,  and  a  load  of  goods  back. 

The  first  post  office  was  established  April,  1804,  at  Skane- 
ateles  Village,  William  J.  Vredenburgh,  P.  M.,  succeeded 
by  John  Teneyck ;  Charles  J.  Burnett,  P.  M.  from  1817  to 
1843. 

When  the  town  was  first  settled,  there  was  an  Indian  trail 
through  it,  crossing  the  lake  where  the  village  now  stands, 
along  which  the  Indians  from  Oneida  and  Onondaga  used  to 
pass,  in  proceeding  to  visit  their  Cayuga  and  Seneca  friends, 
which  at  this  time,  was  the  only  road.  The  old  Genesee  road 
was  first  cut  out  and  traveled  a  mile  and  a  quarter  north  of 
the  village.  Through  the  influence  of  Judge  Sanger,  who 
was  one  of  the  commissioners  to  lay  out  the  Seneca  Turnpike, 
and  who  had  invested  money  in  land  and  mill  sites  at  the  out¬ 
let  of  the  Skaneateles  Lake,  the  turnpike  was  laid  out  along 
the  Indian  trail,  crossing  at  the  outlet  at  the  village  of  Ska¬ 
neateles. 

The  Skaneateles  Lake  affords  abundance  of  excellent  trout, 
some  of  which  have  weighed  fifteen  pounds ;  perch  are  also 
caught.  Within  the  last  two  or  three  years,  pickerel  have 
been  put  in,  but  as  yet  have  not  multiplied  sufficiently  to  be 
taken  in  great  quantities.  The  region  around  the  lake  and 
river  formerly  afforded  abundance  of  game.  Deer  were  often 
seen  swimming  across  the  lake,  when  every  skiff  and  canoe 
was  put  in  immediate  requisition,  and  all  hands  prepared  for 
the  chase.  The  older  inhabitants  have  often  joined  in  these 
sports,  and  repeat  to  this  day  the  anxiety  and  pleasure  they 
experienced  in  the  pursuit. 

The  first  frame  school  house  in  town  was  at  Skaneateles 
Village,  erected  1798  ;  Nicholas  Otis  was  the  first  teacher. 
There  was  a  school  kept  in  a  private  room  in  the  village  be¬ 
fore  the  house  was  built,  by  Ebenezer  Castle. 

The  Congregational  Skaneateles  Religious  Society  and 
Church,  was  organized  in  1801,  by  the  Rev.  Aaron  Bascom. 
There  were  but  sixteen  members  at  this  time.  Their  first 
church  edifice  was  erected  1807,  on  the  hill,  east  of  the  vil- 


TOWNS.— SKANEATELES. 


309 


lage,  which  was  subsequently  sold  to  the  Baptist  Society,  who 
removed  it  down  to  a  more  central  location,  and  fitted  it  up 
for  a  house  of  worship  for  their  society.  A  spacious  and  taste¬ 
ful  brick  edifice  was  erected  by  the  Presbyterian  Society  in 
1830.  The  first  missionary  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Osgood,  after¬ 
wards  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Seth  Williston,  Bushnell,  Jerome  and 
Crane.  The  first  stated  preacher  was  the  Rev.  Thomas  Ro¬ 
bins.  The  first  ordained  minister  was  the  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Swift,  in  1811.  Other  ministers  have  been  Rev.  Messrs.  Ben¬ 
jamin  Rice,  Benjamin  B.  Stocton,  (Congregational  changed 
to  Presbyterian  under  Mr.  Stocton,  in  1818,)  Alexander  M. 
Cowan,  Samuel  W.  Brace,  Samuel  W.  Bush.  St.  James’ 
Church,  Skaneateles,  was  organized  4th  January,  1816,  Rev. 
William  A.  Clark,  presiding.  This  organization  failed  for 
want  of  regular  attention  to  legal  requirements.  In  1824, 
the  society  was  re-organized  by  Rev.  Augustus  L.  Converse, 
Jonathan  Booth,  Charles  J.  Burnett,  were  chosen  Wardens, 
and  Stephen  Horton,  John  Pierson,  Charles  Pardee,  J.  W. 
Livingston,  Samuel  Francis  and  Elijah  J.  Rust,  Vestrymen. 
Rev.  Davenport  Phelps  was  the  first  missionary  for  this  Church 
1803-4,  and  the  Rev.  William  A.  Clark  kept  a  select  school  for 
boys  in  Judge  Vredenburgh’s  house,  and  attended  to  parochial 
duties.  Church  services  were  held  at  the  houses  of  Mr.  Vre- 
denburgh  and  Charles  J.  Burnett.  Rev.  Lucius  Smith  sue- 
ceeded  Mr.  Clark,  and  seats  were  fitted  up  in  a  store,  for  the 
greater  convenience  of  worshippers,  which  was  also  used  for 
a  school  room.  Rev.  A.  S.  Hollister  succeeded  Mr.  Smith. 
Rev.  A.  L.  Converse  officiated  next,  and  the  Rev.  Amos  Par¬ 
dee  was  pastor  in  1824,  Mr.  Hollister  again  in  1827.  The 
first  church  edifice  was  erected  1827-8,  and  greatly  enlarged 
and  improved  in  1847.  The  late  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Clark  was 
the  officiating  minister  of  this  parish  from  May,  1831,  to  Oc¬ 
tober,  1844,  more  than  thirteen  years.  He  died  at  Jamaica 
whither  he  had  retired  for  the  improvement  of  his  declining 
health,  and  died  there,  rector  of  St.  Dorothy’s  Parish,  17th 
July,  1845,  in  the  forty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  Rev.  Mr. 
Seymour,  present  rector.  The  author  was  unable  to  gather 


310 


ONONDAGA. 


any  statistics  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Baptist  Society 
of  Skaneateles. 

An  academy  was  established  at  Skaneateles  in  1840,  but 
has  since  been  merged  in  a  consolidated  school.  Lydia  Mott, 
a  Quakeress,  established  a  hoarding  school  for  young  ladies, 
on  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  many  years  ago,  which  be¬ 
came  very  celebrated.  Mr.  Mekeel  was  a  teacher.  It  was 
named  “  The  Ilive.’' 

A  newspaper  was  first  published  at  Skaneateles  under  the 
title  of  the  “Skaneateles  Telegraph,”  (Antimasonic,)  edited 
by  William  H.  Childs.  “  The  Columbian,”  (Whig,)  was  es¬ 
tablished  in  place  of  the  Telegraph,  in  1830,  by  John  Graves, 
and  now  published  by  M.  A.  Kinney.  Skaneateles  Democrat 
first  issued  1838,  by  William  M.  Beauchamp,  present  publisher 
William  H.  Jewett.  The  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  this 
part  of  Marcellus,  was  Ebenezer  It.  Hawley,  Esq.,  who  was 
afterwards  Sheriff  of  the  county.  The  records  of  this  town 
were  consumed  by  fire  in  1835.  The  first  town  meeting  was 
held  in  the  Presbyterian  meeting  house,  1830. 

The  first  grist  and  saw  mills  erected  in  this  town  were  by 
Judge  Jedediah  Sanger,  of  New  Hartford,  Oneida  County, 
in  1796,  at  the  outlet  of  the  lake. 

The  first  bridge  was  built  in  1800,  by  the  Seneca  Road 
Company.  It  was  twenty-four  rods  long  by  twenty-four  feet 
broad,  and  stood  upon  fourteen  posts.  It  has  been  twice  re¬ 
built,  the  last  time  in  1842,  reducing  the  length  to  twenty- 
four  feet. 

There  are  no  natural  curiosities  of  note  in  this  town.  There 
are  some  petrifactions  on  the  banks  of  the  creek,  common  to 
limestone  regions,  such  as  branches  of  trees,  leaves,  insects, 
&c.  The  banks  of  the  creek  exhibit  the  various  strata  of 
rocks  to  great  advantage,  but  as  they  are  similar  to  those  in 
other  parts  of  the  county,  in  other  places  described,  we  for¬ 
bear  repetition. 

A  steamboat  was  first  started  on  the  Skaneateles  Lake  in 
1831.  It  never  worked  well,  and  after  awhile  was  converted 
into  an  ordinary  sail  boat.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1848,  a  new 


TOWNS.— SRANEATELES. 


311 

steamboat  was  placed  m  the  lake,  which  makes  her  regular 
daily  trips,  to  the  head  of  the  lake  and  back,  with  all  desira¬ 
ble  speed.  It  is  named  “  Skaneateles,”  a  neat,  commodious 
and  fast  sailing  boat,  commanded  by  Capt.  Hecox,  who  is  said 
to  be  the  oldest  native  born  citizen  in  the  town,  and  Dr.  E. 
H.  Porter,  the  next.  The  State  have  constructed  a  dam  across 
the  outlet  of  the  Skaneateles  Lake,  for  the  purpose  of  retain¬ 
ing  the  water  for  the  use  of  the  Jordan  level  of  the  Erie  Ca¬ 
nal.  This  forms  a  vast  reservoir,  eighteen  miles  long,  by 
from  one  to  two  miles  broad,  and  four  feet  deep,  from  which 
to  draw  during  the  dry  season.  There  is  a  peculiarity  about 
the  stream  which  empties  this  lake.  As  it  passes  over  a  bed 
of  limestone  some  two  or  three  miles  north  of  the  village,  a 
large  portion  of  the  water,  full  one  half,  in  dry  seasons,  seemed 
to  disappear  among  the  fissures  of  the  rocks,  and  no  where 
was  it  known  to  re-appear.  In  order  to  save  the  water,  the 
State  have  expended  large  sums  of  money.  The  channel  has 
been  turned,  and  the  bottom  chinked  with  small  stone,  clay 
and  grout,  so  that  at  present  there  is  but  little  waste.  Man¬ 
ufacturers  speak  highly  of  the  softness  of  the  Skaneateles 
water  for  washing  and  cleansing  Avool  and  other  manufacturing 
materials.  The  lake  is  the  highest  in  the  State,  some  two 
hundred  feet  higher  than  Otisco,  and  one  hundred  higher  than 
Owasco,  on  either  side  of  it,  situated  among  the  shale  above 
the  limestone  stratum,  and  is  also  mainly  fed  by  streams  which 
are  not  impregnated  with  lime,  which  renders  the  water  soft, 
pure  and  limpid. 

On  leaving  Skaneateles  Village,  passing  down  the  outlet, 
we  come  to  Dorastus  Kellogg’s  extensive  woolen  factory,  a 
large  distillery  and  two  grist  mills.  At  Mottville  is  a  grist 
mill,  woolen  factory,  machine  shop  and  iron  foundery.  Then 
is  Weed’s  grist  mill,  a  woolen  factory  and  four  saw  mills.  At 
the  Hart  lot  is  a  grist  and  saw  mill  and  a  distillery,  using 
over  two  hundred  bushels  of  grain  per  day,  and  fattening  twelve 
hundred  hogs. 

There  is  a  succession  of  'falls  at  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  none 
exceeding  twelve  or  fourteen  feet.  The  principal  one  is  on 


312 


ONONDAGA. 


community  farm,  now  owned  by  Samuel  Sellers,  about  four 
miles  north  of  the  village.  Here  the  stream  falls  over  a  ledge 
of  limestone,  from  which  are  quarried  excellent  stone  for  build¬ 
ing,  window-caps  and  stools,  door  steps,  &c.  In  fact  this 
stream  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  the  county.  In  addi¬ 
tion  to  its  durability,  the  fall  is  so  gradual,  and  yet  so  steep, 
that  the  water  may  be  used  over  and  over  again,  once  in  fifteen 
or  twenty  rods,  all  the  distance  from  Skaneateles  to  Elbridge, 
and  might  be  occupied  to  triple  the  extent  that  it  is  at  pres¬ 
ent.  Mottville  is  a  smart  little  manufacturing  place,  between 
Skaneateles  and  Elbridge,  having  a  Church,  Post  Office,  &c. 
Other  Post  Offices  in  this  town  are  Mandana  and  Rhoades. 

The  village  of  Skaneateles  is  one  of  the  most  lovely  and 
picturesque  in  western  New-York.  From  this  village  the  eye 
measures  about  half  the  distance  of  the  lake  to  the  south,  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  width.  On  the  shores,  are  no  bogs  or 
marshes  to  disfigure  the  prospect ;  the  rich  velvet  like  green 
of  the  gradually  sloping  banks  of  the  lake,  seem  to  be  resting 
on  the  water’s  brink.  Villas  and  lawns  give  a  charm  which 
distance  lends  to  the  view.  The  woodlands,  clothed  in  the 
richest  green,  rock  and  rustle  their  foliage  in  the  wind,  and 
the  golden  grain  of  the  cultivated  fields  waves  in  the  breeze. 
The  herds  and  flocks  graze  in  slothful  competency  over  the 
luxuriant  pastures,  and  the  light  bark  glides  gracefully  over 
the  sweet  bosom  of  the  water.  The  hum  of  prosperous  busi¬ 
ness  is  heard  amid  the  rattling  of  rail  road  cars,  the  clinking 
of  hammers,  the  rumbling  of  machinery  and  the  rushing  of 
water  falls,  and  the  happy  faces  and  the  happy  homes  of  the 
citizens,  invite  the  settlement  of  many  more  among  them. 
The  society,  the  schools,  the  scenery  and  the  prospects  of 
business,  are  all  wholesome  and  flourishing,  and  it  may  be  said, 
without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  few  if  any  villages  present 
so  many  great  and  desirable  advantages.  It  contains  about 
fourteen  hundred  inhabitants. 

Statistics  of  Skaneateles  from  census  of  1845  : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  3,827.;  subject  to  military  duty, 
386 ;  voters,  867  ;  aliens,  96 ;  children  attending  Common 


T  O  W  N  S C  A  M I L  L  U  S . 


313 


Schools,  703;  acres  of  improved  land,  20,483;  grist  mills, 
4 ;  saw  mills,  4 ;  iron  works,  2  ;  trip  hammer,  1 ;  ashery,  1 ; 
clover  mill,  1 ;  Tanneries,  2  ;  Churches — Baptist,  1 ;  Presby¬ 
terian,  1 ;  Methodist,  1 ;  Universalist,  1 ;  Quaker,  1 ;  Com¬ 
mon  Schools,  18;  taverns,  5;  stores,  11;  groceries,  4;  far¬ 
mers,  544;  merchants,  10;  manufacturers,  44;  mechanics, 
408  ;  clergymen,  7  ;  physicians,  6  ;  lawyers,  6. 

Camillus. — This  was  one  of  the  original  townships,  num¬ 
ber  five  of  the  military  tract.  It  was  included  in  the  town  of 
Marcellus,  at  the  first  organization  of  the  county,  and  was 
erected  into  a  town  by  itself  in  1799.  The  first  town  meeting 
was  directed  by  law  to  be  held  at  the  house  of  Medad  Curtis, 
who  was  elected  Supervisor,  and  Daniel  Vail,  Town  Clerk. 
The  early  records  of  this  town  were  destroyed  by  fire  several 
years  since,  and  there  is  no  town  record  farther  back  than 
April,  1829. 

The  first  white  settler  of  this  town,  was  Capt.  Isaac  Lindsay, 
about  the  year  1790,  and  directly  after,  his  brothers  James, 
William  and  Elijah  Lindsay.  They  bought  their  land  for  two 
shillings  per  acre ;  it  was  lot  No.  80.  Nicholas  Lamberson 
settled  in  this  town  in  1793,  William  Reed,  Selden  Leonard, 
Mordecai  Ellis,  a  family  named  White  and  David  Hinsdale 
and  others  previous  to  1806.  Squire  Munro  settled  on  lot  81, 
now  in  the  town  of  Elbridge,  in  1799.  His  sons  John,  David, 
Nathan  and  Philip  A.  Munro  were  then  young  men,  and  have 
since  been  known  throughout  the  county  for  their  enterprise, 
industry,  intelligence  and  wealth.  Thomas  Corey  who  was 
killed  by  a  fall  from  a  wagon,  was  an  early  settler  in  this  town, 
as  well  as  Isaac  Brown,  Nathaniel  Richman,  Jacob  Chandler, 
John  Hess,  John  Paddock  and  two  of  the  name  of  McCracken. 
David  Munro,  settled  at  Camillus,  where  he  now  resides,  in 
1808.  At  this  time  the  heavy  labor  was  principally  performed 
by  the  settlers,  by  what  was  usually  termed  “  bees ,”  to  which 
a  general  invitation  was  extended  to  all  the  able  bodied  men 
of  the  town  ;  chopping  bees,  logging  bees,  husking  bees,  &c., 
were  customary,  and  usually  ended  in  a  frolic. 


814 


ONONDAGA. 


The  first  frame  house  was  erected  by  Isaac  Lindsay,  on  lot 
No.  80,  in  1795.  There  were  but  two  frame  houses,  at  the 
village  of  Camillus,  in  1808.  David  Munro  erected  a  substan¬ 
tial  frame  house  in  1810.  The  White  family  had  erected  a 
frame  house  at  Amboy,  about  the  same  time,  and  Capt.  Kim¬ 
berly  also ;  none  east,  had  been  erected  at  this  time  till  you 
came  to  Judge  Geddes,  and  none  west  to  Elbridge.  A  log 
school  house  was  erected  first,  in  1808  ;  previously  there  had 
been  no  schools  in  town,  and  but  little  attention  paid  to  edu¬ 
cation.  This  was  succeeded  by  a  frame  school  house  in  1813. 
When  the  country  was  first  cleared,  crops  of  all  kinds  were 
abundant ;  there  were  no  roads  passable  for  loaded  teams,  and 
no  means  of  transporting  the  surplus  produce  to  market,  con¬ 
sequently  there  was  a  great  waste  of  grain ;  much  of  it  was 
thrown  to  swine  and  other  stock.  As  settlers  arrived  the  de¬ 
mand  was  more  active,  and  in  1802,  there  was  a  great  scarcity 
of  the  necessaries  of  life.  Wheat  could  scarcely  be  bought 
at  any  price,  and  twenty  shillings  per  bushel  was  the  lowest 
price  it  could  be  obtained  for  at  all,  and  corn  from  ten  to 
twelve  shillings  a  bushel.  The  first  surplus  raised  for  market 
was  in  1805,  when  it  was  carried  to  Albany,  on  sleighs.  Thou¬ 
sands  of  bushels  of  wheat  have  been  since,  annually  transport¬ 
er!  to  Albany  from  this  town,  by  sleighs  and  wagons,  previous 
to  the  building  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

The  north  branch  of  the  Seneca  Turnpike  was  incorporated 
in  1806.  And  in  1807  and  1808,  Squire  Munro  and  his  sons 
built  so  much  of  this  road  as  passed  through  the  township  of 
Camillus,  about  eleven  miles,  and  the  stock  is  still  owned  by 
them  or  their  survivors,  which  they  received  as  a  compensation 
for  the  work. 

A  Post  Office  was  first  established  at  Camillus  in  1811,  and 
David  Munro  appointed  Post  Master.  James  R.  Lawrence,  P. 
M.,  1824.  Grove  Lawrence  and  Robert  Dickey,  succeeded. 
Bellisle,  Windfall  and  Wellington,  are  Post  Offices  in  this  town. 

The  first  Presbyterian  Society  and  Church  was  formed  at 
Camillus,  in  1817,  and  their  house  of  worship  erected  in  1822. 
Their  clergymen  have  been  Rev.  Messrs.  Spicer,  Chadwick, 


TOWNS.— CAMILLUS. 


315 


Taylor,  Stockton,  Harrington,  Ward,  Robinson  and  Williams. 
Methodist  Society  organized  in  1831.  A  Presbyterian  Soci¬ 
ety  was  organized  at  Amboy,  1846,  and  erected  a  house  of 
worship  the  same  year— Messrs.  Lathrop  and  Sherwood,  min¬ 
isters.  A  Baptist  Society  was  organized  at  Bellisle  in  1834, 
under  Elder  Daniel  D.  Chittenden. 

Post  Office  established  at  Bellisle  in  1830,  George  Kimber¬ 
ly,  P.  M.  Isaac  Lindsay  kept  the  first  tavern  in  town,  in 
1793,  Thomas  Corey  in  1801.  John  Tomlinson  opened  a  store 
first  in  town,  in  1808,  at  Camillus  village.  Munro  &  Benedict 
in  1810.  Gould  and  Hess,  Hoar  &  Webber,  William  A.  Cook, 
John  C.  Ellis,  &c.  James  R.  Lawrence  opened  the  first  law 
office  in  town,  in  1815.  Grove  Lawrence  another,  in  1821. 
Other  lawyers  have  been,  Samuel  Hammond,  Daniel  Pratt, 
D.  D.  Ilillis,  &c.  Dr.  Isaac  Magoon  established  himself  as  a 
physician  at  Camillus  in  1808  ;  succeeded  by  Dr.  Richards. 

The  first  gristmill  erected  in  town  was  at  Camillus  village, 
in  1806,  by  Squire  Munro,  William  Wheeler  and  Samuel  Pow¬ 
ers,  and  a  saw  mill  at  the  same  time.  A  saw-mill  was  first 
erected  at  Amboy,  by  Joseph  White,  in  1805,  and  a  fulling 
mill  in  1801. 

There  is  at  present  at  Camillus  village,  a  large  grist  mill, 
owned  by  Phares  Gould  &  Son,  with  three  run  of  stones,  and 
a  saw  mill.  In  1848,  the  new  “  Novelty  Mills,”  by  Weston 
&  Dill,  were  completed,  and  are  driven  by  steam.  There  is 
also  a  large  steam  saw  mill  in  operation,  a  woolen  factory, 
turning  machine,  lath  mills,  &c.  &c.  There  are  about  seven 
hundred  find  fifty  inhabitants  in  Camillus  village. 

The  soil  of  the  town  of  Camillus,  is  thought  by  the  occu¬ 
pants,  to  be  inferior  to  none  in  the  county,  and  judging  from 
the  general  appearance,  the  magnitude  and  multiplicity  of 
crops,  their  estimation  is  not  overrated.  In  the  hills  south  of 
the  turnpike,  are  inexhaustable  beds  of  plaster,  which  is  quar¬ 
ried  and  sold  in  great  quantities,  and  is  unsurpassed  in  quali¬ 
ty.  The  first  plaster  discovered  in  the  United  States,  was  in 
this  town,  by  William  Lindsay,  in  1792.  Ilis  attention  was  acci¬ 
dently  arrested  by  a  portion  of  the  white  semi-transparent  rock 


310 


ONONDAGA. 


projecting  from  the  side  hill,  a  little  south  of  Camillus  village, 
on  lot  number  ninety.  A  large  block  of  it  was  taken  to  his 
house  and  examined  by  sundry  persons,  who  at  the  time,  were 
unable  to  determine  what  it  was.  It  was  at  length  ascertained 
that  it  was  plaster,  and  equal  to  that  brought  from  Nova  Sco¬ 
tia.  De  Witt  Clinton,  Samuel  Young  and  other  distinguished 
individuals  visited  the  spot,  in  1809.  Josiah  Buck  bought  the 
land  at  once,  and  the  fame  of  the  new  plaster  beds  spread 
abroad  far  and  wide.  Specimens  of  it  were  sent  to  Europe 
to  be  tested  or  compared  with  the  plaster  of  Paris,  and  it  was 
found  to  be  equal  to  that.  In  1808,  a  company  of  one  hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  shareholders,  (shares  fifty  dollars  each,)  was 
formed,  for  working  the  same.  Judge  Forman  took  two  hun¬ 
dred  shares,  and  others,  ten,  five,  three,  two  and  one,  each, 
till  the  whole  one  thousand  shares,  were  taken  up.  Judge 
Forman  was  chosen  president  of  the  company,  and  Josiah 
Buck  was  the  principal  manager.  By  1812,  the  beds  had 
been  thoroughly  opened  and  explored,  and  large  quantities  in 
the  stone,  were  carried  off  eastward,  and  to  the  southern  tier  of 
counties.  Since  which,  the  trade  has  been  flourishing  and  lu¬ 
crative.  Some  of  the  finest  specimens  of  the  foliated  trans¬ 
parent  selenite  variety,  have  been  obtained  at  these  beds,  which 
from  its  transparency,  is  often  termed  alabaster. 

In  the  recent  excavations,  made  for  the  enlargement  of  the 
Jordan  level  of  the  Erie  Canal,  were  thrown  out  large  bodies 
of  cemented  gravel,  or  conglomerate  rock,  about  two  feet 
thick ;  underneath  this,  lies  a  bed  of  gravel  uncemented.  From 
this,  it  appears  that  a  change  in  the  formation  of  the  mate¬ 
rials,  which  at  present  compose  the  earth,  in  this  section,  is 
fast  going  on,  and  that  ere  long,  what  are  now  termed  gravel 
beds,  will  soon  become  solid  rock,  near  the  surface  of  the  earth. 

There  are  excellent  quarries  of  gray  limestone  in  this  town, 
and  a  stratum  of  sandstone  intermixed,  as  noticed  in  the  town 
of  Elbridge.  Calcareous  Tufa  abounds  in  the  hill3,  which 
makes  excellent  lime,  and  is  called  “  basswood  limestone.”  It 
is  considered  the  most  obstinate  material  to  grade  of  any 
thing  known.  It  being  too  porous  to  hold  blasts  of  powder, 


TOWNS.— CAMILLUS. 


317 


and  yet  so  firm  as  not  to  be  easily  broken.  There  are  numer¬ 
ous  calcareous  deposits  all  along  the  foot  of  the  hills,  in  the 
Nine  Mile  Creek  valley.  When  the  Erie  Canal  was  excava¬ 
ted  through  the  farm  of  David  Hinsdale,  in  this  town,  innu¬ 
merable  sea-clam  and  other  marine  shells,  and  bones  of  fish 
were  found,  firmly  embedded  in  the  hardpan  or  tenacious  clay, 
about  two  feet  below  the  surface.  Upon  exposure  to  the  ah’, 
they  all  crumbled  to  dust. 

Recently,  efforts  have  been  made  in  this  town,  to  explore 
what  has  long  been  considered  by  some,  to  be  a  bed  of  coal ; 
a  shaft  has  been  sunk  to  the  depth  of  about  twelve  feet,  on  a 
hill  about  two  miles  south  of  Camillus  village.  Detached 
pieces  of  Anthracite  coal  are  said  to  have  been  found.  The 
proprietor,  Col.  Bull,  is  at  present  (1848)  making  prepara¬ 
tions  for  a  thorough  exploration  for  this  desirable  mineral,  with 
much  assurance  of  success. 

Col.  John  Dill,  was  a  native  of  Shawangunk,  Ulster 
County,  New-York.  He  was  a  son  of  Robert  and  Hannah 
Dill,  whose  ancestors  came  from  Holland.  John  Dill  was 
born  27th  of  November,  1757.  His  early  advantages  for 
school  education  were  not  liberal ;  he  however  acquired  a  good 
English  education,  was  an  excellent  arithmetician,  learned  much 
from  observation  and  from  the  society  of  distinguished  men  of 
those  times,  with  whom  his  family  were  familiar.  At  an  early 
age  he  became  a  practical  surveyor,  and  w*as  noted  for  his  accu¬ 
racy  and  dispatch.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary 
war,  he  entered  what  was  then  termed,  the  five  months  ser¬ 
vice,  as  a  volunteer  Orderly  Sergeant  in  the  company  of  Ca.pt. 
John  Graham,  Col.  Paulding’s  regiment,  under  Gen.  Alexan¬ 
der  McDougall,  and  was  in  one  of  the  battles  in  the  vicinity 
of  New-York.  In  October,  1777,  he  was  stationed  at  Fort 
Montgomery,  in  that  portion  called  Fort  Clinton.  A  small 
creek  separates  the  two.  At  this  time  it  was  taken  by  the 
British.  The  battle  continued  until  late  at  night,  which  en¬ 
abled  those  at  Fort  Clinton  to  escape.  He  with  others,  swam 
the  creek,  passing  under  the  wall  of  Fort  Montgomery.  Ho 
afterwards  went  up  the  North  River  with  the  Americans,  in 


318 


ONONDAGA. 


pursuit  of  the  British  fleet  and  army,  to  Esopus,  now  King¬ 
ston,  the  capital  of  Ulster  County,  which  the  British  burned. 
After  the  surrender  of  General  Burgoyne,  he  returned  with 
the  army  to  the  vicinity  of  New- York.  After  his  first  term 
of  service  expired,  he  enlisted  a  second  time  (17T7)  in  a  corps 
of  artificers.  He  was  of  an  ingenious  turn  of  mind,  could 
turn  Ids  hand  to  almost  any  kind  of  mechanical  labor,  and  be¬ 
came  very  useful  in  this  branch  of  the  service.  His  command¬ 
ing  officer  was  Capt.  James  Young.  Afterwards,  the  com¬ 
pany  was  commanded  by  Capt.  James  Shephard.  The  follow¬ 
ing  is  a  copy  of  his  discharge  from  this  company : 

“  The  bearer,  John  Dill,  having  served  three  years  as  an 
artificer  in  Captain  Shephard’s  company,  and  the  time  being 
fully  expired  that  he  did  engage  for,  he  is  now  discharged  the 
service,  and  has  leave  to  return  to  Shawangunk. 

Fislikill,  Dec.  14,  1780. 

J.  BALDWIN, 

Col.  and  Com.  of  Artificers.” 

At  the  time  of  his  discharge,  Col.  Christopher  Ming,  who 
had  command  of  the  Quarter  Master’s  department  in  that  di¬ 
vision  of  the  army,  took  a  fancy  to  him,  and  invited  him  to 
take  a  place  in  his  stall-,  which  offer  he  accepted  in  1780. 
After  a  short  term  of  service  under  Col.  Ming,  he  became  ac¬ 
quainted  with  Quartermaster  General,  Timothy  Pickering ; 
and  through  his  influence,  received  a  commission  in  his  de¬ 
partment.  In  this  situation  he  remained  to  the  close  of  the 
war,  being  generally  on  duty  in  the  vicinity  of  New-York, 
West  Point,  and  other  places  on  the  North  Kiver.  After  the 
war,  he  was  retained  in  the  service  by  Gen.  Pickering,  at 
Newburgh,  assisting  in  the  arrangement  of  the  papers  of  the 
Quartermaster  General’s  department,  which  were  finally 
boxed  up  and  deposited  in  Philadelphia.  These  papers  con¬ 
sisted  of  bills  settled  and  unsettled,  certificates  and  evi¬ 
dences  of  debt.  These  certificates  &c.,  were  many  of  them 
given  for  stock,  grain,  forage,  &c.,  which  had  in  many  instan¬ 
ces  been  forcibly  taken  from  the  owners,  for  the  subsistence 
of  the  army.  The  claims  were  to  be  adjusted,  and  Gen.  Pick- 


TOWN  S.— C  AMILLUS. 


319 


ering  was  charged  with  this  duty.  The  associates  of  Major 
Dill  at  this  time,  were  Henry  Demblar,  Peter  Anspaw  and 
Peter  Tenbroeck,  the  latter  of  whom  subsequently  settled  at 
Onondaga  Hollow.  These  claims  were  generally  satisfactorily 
arranged  by  General  Pickering  and  his  assistants.  After  the 
new  Constitution  was  adopted,  Dr.  Cochran,  a  distinguished 
surgeon  of  the  army,  was  appointed  loan  officer,  with  powers 
to  settle  these  liquidated  debts,  and  to  his  office  Major  Dill 
was  transferred.  Many  of  the  claims  had  been  transferred, 
to  the  hands  of  speculators,  who  had  bought  them  up,  in  many 
instances  for  little  or  nothing.  These  claims  were  made  at 
length  a  funded  debt,  and  Dr.  Cochran  and  Major  Dill  finally 
settled  them  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  parties. 

After  the  close  of  these  affairs,  he  moved  to  New- York, 
opened  a  broker’s  office,  and  continued  there  little  more  than 
a  year  ;  after  which,  in  company  with  his  old  associates,  Hen¬ 
ry  Demblar  and  Peter  Anspaw,  he  set  up  a  store  of  goods  at 
Middletown  Point,  New-Jersey,  where  they  carried  on  an  ex¬ 
tensive  business  till  1808,  when  he  again  returned  to  his  na¬ 
tive  county.  Here  he  received  the  appointment  of  Brigade 
Major  and  Inspector  for  the  counties  of  Ulster  and  Orange, 
which  office  was  then  both  highly  honorable  and  lucrative. 
In  1812  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  Electors  of  Ulster  County, 
for  President  and  Vice-President.  He  came  to  Onondaga  in 
1813,  spent  some  time  with  his  old  associate,  Peter  Tenbroek  ; 
after  which  he  joined  his  brother,  Judge  Samuel  Dill,  then 
residing  at  Auburn,  Cayuga  County,  where  he  was  for  some 
time  engaged  in  making  sale  of  military  lands  of  which  he 
w'as  the  owner.  In  1828,  the  brothers  removed  to  the  town 
of  Camillus,  where  he  lived  very  much  respected  and  beloved. 
He  was  never  married.  In  personal  appearance,  he  was  lit¬ 
tle  above  middling  stature,  Straight,  well  proportioned,  pos¬ 
sessing  a  keen  blue  eye,  and  rotund  countenance.  He  always 
had  the  air  of  a  military  man,  always  walked  erect,  with  a 
firm  martial  step.  In  his  dealings  with  his  fellow  men,  he 
was  never  arrogant,  but  upright  and  generous  to  a  fault.  To 
conclude,  he  was  a  perfect  specimen  of  a  gentleman  of  the  old 


320 


ONONDAGA 


school.  He  died  at  Camillas,  21st  September,  1846,  in  the 
88th  year  of  his  age,  highly  esteemed  for  his  many  virtues, 
beloved  for  the  amiability  of  his  temper,  and  mourned  as  a 
kind  neighbor  and  estimable  friend.  This  feeble  tribute  is 
due  to  his  memory  as  a  patriot  of  the  Revolution. 

Statistics  of  the  town  of  Camillus,  taken  from  the  census 
of  1845 : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  2,967  ;  subject  to  military  duty, 
329;  voters,  679;  aliens,  75;  children  attending  common 
schools,  806  ;  acres  of  improved  land,  15,847  ;  grist  mills,  3 ; 
saw  mills,  8 ;  fulling  mills,  1 ;  carding  machines,  1  ;  woolen 
factory,  1 ;  ashery,  1 ;  tanneries,  2  ;  churches — Methodist,  1 ; 
Presbyterian,  2  ;  common  schools,  11  ;  taverns,  7  ;  stores,  5 ; 
groceries,  6  ;  farmers,  505 ;  merchants,  11 ;  manufactories,  6  ; 
mechanics,  135  ;  clergymen,  6  ;  physicians,  6  ;  lawyers,  3. 

Elbbldge. — This  town  was  organized  in  1829,  and  con¬ 
tains  about  thirty-seven  lots  of  the  original  township  of  Ca¬ 
millus.  The  first  settlements  made  in  this  town  were  in  1793. 
Josiah  Buck,  who  surveyed  the  township  of  Camillus  into 
lots,  in  1791,  came  to  this  town  1793,  with  his  family,  in  a 
large  wagon,  and  settled  on  the  lot  now  owned  by  Col.  John 
Munro.  A  log,  a  large  one  of  oak,  by  order  of  Squire  Mun- 
ro,  was  left  without  molestation  for  a  number  of  years,  as  a 
memorial  of  the  place  where  the  first  settlement  was  made  in 
town.  The  large  elm  tree  is  still  standing  in  the  road,  a  lit¬ 
tle  west  of  Mr.  Munro’s  house  by  the  side  of  a  clear  running 
brook,  where  Mr.  Buck,  with  his  family,  took  shelter  till  he 
could  erect  a  comfortable  cabin.  They  lived  several  weeks  with 
no  shelter  but  the  forest,  and  the  wagon  served  for  parlor,  kitch¬ 
en,  wardrobe  and  sleeping  apartments.  On  this  account  the 
tree  was  highly  venerated  by  the  people  in  the  neighbor¬ 
hood.  Robert  Fulton  came  in  the  same  year  a  little  after ; 
and  James  Strong  in  1794.  Col.  Chandler  and  Dr.  Pickard 
an  Indian  root  doctor,  came  soon  after.  A  Mr.  Potter  came 
as  the  first  blacksmith,  1795,  and  James  Weisner  and  Nicholas 
Mickles,  settled  in  town  in  1796.  Isaac  Strong  erected  a 


TOWNS.— ELBRIDGE. 


321 


saw  mill  in  1795,  and  a  grist  mill  in  1798.  The  inhabitants 
who  first  settled  in  this  town,  had  to  go  to  Jamesville  to  mill. 
William  Stevens  located  here  in  1794,  and  built  a  saw  mill 
about  a  mile  west  of  Elbridge.  lie  also  built  a  store,  now 
standing,  and  set  up  Dr.  John  Frisbie  in  it,  in  1797,  the  first 
in  town.  Mr.  Levi  Clark  built  the  first  frame  school  house, 
in  1801.  Josiah  Buck  kept  the  first  tavern  in  town,  1793. 
Moses  Carpenter  another,  soon  after.  William  Stevens  was 
the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  this  town,  1794. 

First  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Jordan,  were  Zenas  Wright 
and  Aaron  Wright,  in  1797  ;  Martin  Tickner,  Reynalds  Co¬ 
rey,  Isaac  Smith,  Jonathan  Rowley  and  Jonathan  Babcock, 
came  on  the  following  year  or  soon  after. 

The  first  town  meeting  for  Elbridge  as  a  separate  town, 
was  held  April,  1829,  at  the  house  of  Horace  Dodge.  Squire 
Munro  was  chosen  Moderator ;  Seneca  Ilale,  Secretary ; 
Timothy  Brown,  Supervisor;  James  McClure,  Town  Clerk. 

Post  Office  first  established  1825,  Seneca  Hale  P.  M.  Suc¬ 
ceeded  by  Frederick  Benson,  1828.  Previous  to  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  a  Post  Office  here  the  inhabitants  received  their  mail 
matter  at  Skaneateles. 

Jordan  is  a  place  rapidly  increasing  in  size  and  consequence. 
Several  large  three  and  four  story  brick  buildings,  have  been 
erected  within  the  last  two  years,  on  the  banks  of  the  canal. 
There  are  4  churches — 1  Presbyterian,  1  Methodist,  1  Baptist 
and  1  Episcopalian.  There  are  2  grist  and  flouring  mills,  3 
saw  mills,  pump  and  machine  shop,  2  furnaces,  an  oil  mill,  6 
dry  goods  stores,  1  hardware  and  sheet  iron  shop,  2  drug  stores, 
5  groceries  and  victualing  shops,  4  storage  and  forwarding 
houses,  1  large  distillery,  consuming  over  200  bushels  of  grain 
per  day,  and  fattening  over  1,200  hogs.  There  is  also  a  flour¬ 
ishing  academy  here,  which  has  been  incorporated  about  seven 
years.  It  is  subject  to  the  visitation  of  the  Regents  of  the 
University,  and  has  drawn  as  much  as  $400  from  the  Litera¬ 
ture  Fund  in  a  single  year.  A  newspaper  was  published  at 
Jordan  in  1831,  entitled  the  Courier,  by  Frederick  Prince; 


B  21 


322 


ONONDAGA. 


continued  about  three  years.  The  village  of  Jordan  contains 
about  1,700  inhabitants. 

Moses  Carpenter,  James  Weisner,  Squire  Munro,  Ezra  and 
John  Brackett,  and  Joseph  and  Aaron  Colman,  first  settled 
at  Elbridge  village,  in  1794  and  5.  Mr.  Munroe  kept  the  first 
tavern  at  that  place  soon  after. 

The  Baptist  Society  was  organized  at  Elbridge,  as  the  first 
Baptist  Church  in  Camillus,  30th  Dec.,  1816,  Squire  Munro, 
Nathan  Munro  &  Lemuel  Crossman,  trustees.  Elder  Craw, 
the  first  minister,  first  held  meetings  in  a  school  house. 
Their  house  of  worship  erected  1816.  Upon  the  erection  of 
their  house  of  worship,  the  conscientious  Elder  remarked  that 
now  they  were  proud  enough  to  have  a  church  edifice,  they 
were  too  proud  to  keep  him,  and  took  his  leave  in  an  uncere¬ 
monious  manner.  The  clergy  since,  have  been  in  the  following 
order;  Elder  Fuller,  Elder  Everts,  Elder  Butterfield,  Elder 
Smitzer.  The  Presbyterian  house  of  worship  was  erected  1830, 
the  Methodist  house  the  same  year,  and  the  Episcopal  church 
was  organized  1841.  Edifice  erected  1846.  The  first  Pres¬ 
byterian  clergymen  were,  Rev.  Mr.  Ingersoll  and  Mr.  Page ; 
Baptist,  Elder  Eddy  and  Elder  Davis  ;  the  Episcopal  clergy¬ 
man,  Mr.  -  Rice.  Congregational  church  organized  in 

1822,  house  of  worship  erected  1822-3.  Jacob  Campbell, 
Hiram  F.  Mather,  Levi  Clark,  Jedediah  Richards,  trustees. 
Ministers  have  been  in  their  order,  Rev.  Messrs.  Jabez  Chad¬ 
wick,  Seth  Porter,  Timothy  Stow,  Medad  Pomeroy,  Sidney 
T.  Mills,  Lemuel  W.  Hamlin,  Washington  Thatcher,  Charles 
Matoon. 

Gideon  Wilcoxon  first  established  himself  here  as  a  lawyer, 
in  1813,  Hiram  F.  Mather  in  1818,  afterwards  Mr.  Putnam. 
Dr.  John  Frishie  was  the  first  physician,  in  1797,  Dr.  Sweet 
in  1810,  and  Dr.  Chichester  after  him.  Post  Office  established 
1813  ;  Gideon  Wilcoxon,  P.  M.  Hiram  F.  Mather  succeeded 
him,  then  Hendrick  Wood,  Mr.  Munro,  Wood  and  Munro. 

The  Munro  Academy  at  Elbridge,  was  incorporated  1838. 
Nathan  Munro,  Esq.,  gave  the  building,  lot,  apparatus,  libra¬ 
ry,  and  endowed  it  with  a  permanent  fund  of  $20,000.  It  is 


TOW  NS.-E  LBRIDGE, 


323 


subject  to  the  visitation  of  the  Regents  of  the  University,  and 
has  annually  drawn  from  the  Literature  Fund,  from  $150  to 
$500.  Like  other  institutions  of  the  kind  it  has  had  its  sea¬ 
sons  of  pi’osperity  and  adversity  ;  at  present  it  is  flourishing. 
The  Trustees  have  been  enabled  to  lay  by  annually  a  surplus, 
which  now  amounts  to  a  sum  sufficient  to  build  a  new,  large 
and  commodious  building,  which  the  trustees  contemplate  do¬ 
ing  next  season. 

There  are  three  saw  mills  at  Elbridge,  a  large  and  excellent 
grist  mill,  Miner’s  wooden  ware  factory,  a  large  woolen  factory, 
carriage  factory,  cabinet  ware  shops,  an  oil  mill,  &c.  &c.  El¬ 
bridge  village  contains  about  800  inhabitants. 

A  little  west  of  the  village  of  Elbridge,  between  the  Seneca 
Turnpike  Road  and  the  Skaneateles  Creek,  on  lands  of  John 
Munro,  is  a  large  deposit  of  calcareous  marl,  but  slightly 
mixed  with  argillaceous  particles.  This  bed  is  about  fifty  rods 
long,  from  east  to  west,  and  about  thirty  broad  ;  its  depth  is 
unknown.  It  has,  however,  been  found  to  extend  over  twmnty 
feet  in  depth,  and  what  is  something  remarkable,  there  is  no 
other  deposit  of  the  kind  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  At  no 
distant  day  it  will  prove  a  valuable  auxiliary  to  the  farmers 
of  this  neighborhood,  as  a  manure. 

South  of  this,  about  a  mile  above  the  plaster  formations, 
and  below  the  limestone,  is  a  layer  of  dark  drab  or  brown 
sandstone,  about  twenty  inches  thick,  and  is  dug  out  in  blocks 
from  one  to  two  feet  square,  and  makes  an  excellent  building 
material.  It  is  slightly  dotted  with  hydrate  of  iron,  possesses 
a  sharp  grit  and  fucoids  sometimes  present  their  appearance 
on  the  upper  surface,  and  contortions  the  result  of  concretion¬ 
ary  action,  are  observable  on  the  lower. 

East  of  Elbridge  Village,  about  two  miles,  are  extensive 
deposits  of  calcareous  tufa,  which  extend  dowrn  the  brook  and 
valley  to  the  town  of  Van  Buren.  It  is  used  in  place  of  stone 
for  fencing.  The  swamp  south  of  the  road  abounds  with  it. 
There  are  numerous  plaster  beds  finely  developed,  all  along 
the  Skaneateles  Creek,  below  Elbridge  to  Jordan,  of  excel¬ 
lent  quality,  and  they  are  improved  to  a  great  extent.  On 


324 


ONONDAGA. 


the  banks  of  the  creek,  for  fifty  rods  back,  and  half  a  mile  in 
length,  below  the  village  of  Elbridge,  are  numerous  hopper- 
sbaped  cavities,  some  of  which  have  been  recently  increased 
in  size  and  depth.  Some  of  them  are  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
in  diameter,  and  eight  or  ten  feet  deep.  Dr.  Wheeler,  in  dig¬ 
ging  a  well  not  long  since,  found  floating  in,  with  the  water, 
particles  or  scales  of  plaster. 

All  along  on  the  banks  of  the  Seneca  River,  are  found  is¬ 
sues  of  weak  brine,  and  in  some  places  are  springs  of  consid¬ 
erable  volume,  but  none  of  sufficient  strength  to  encourage 
the  manufacture  of  salt,  or  exploration. 

In  the  limestone  ledge,  about  a  mile  below  the  village  of 
Elbridge,  on  the  bank  of  the  creek,  is  a  cave  about  twenty 
feet  long,  by  ten  broad  in  the  center,  oval  shaped,  and  about 
seven  feet  high.  In  former  years  it  was  much  visited  as  a  cu¬ 
riosity.  It  was  a  notorious  den  and  hiding  place  for  wild 
beasts,  and  was  first  discovered  in  1794,  by  Robert  Fulton 
and  William  Stevens,  who  had  quite  an  adventure  with  a  bear, 
which  they  slew. 

In  this  town  are  numerous  evidences  of  ancient  occupancy 
by  the  French.  On  lot  eighty-three,  are  the  remains  of  an 
Indian  village,  where  have  been  found  hundreds  of  stone  axes, 
all  of  similar  pattern,  about  three  inches  broad  by  one  inch 
thick.  Each  implement  had  a  groove  around  the  center,  by 
which  the  handle  was  fastened  in  a  peculiar  manner,  by  thongs 
made  of  the  sinews  of  deer.  Hundreds  of  flint  arrow  heads 
have  also  been  found  on  this  ancient  site.  A  peculiar  stone 
was  found  at  this  locality,  about  two  feet  square,  which  was 
undoubtedly  used  for  sharpening  these  axes.  It  was  hollowed 
out  towards  the  center.  In  this  hollow,  water  was  probably 
placed,  and  the  instruments  whetted  backwards  and  forwards 
till  brought  to  proper  shape.  The  lowest  part  of  the  concave 
surface  was  about  four  inches  at  the  center.  In  the  vicinity 
are  appearances  of  coal  pits,  charcoal,  &c. 

On  lot  eighty-one,  north-east  part,  on  the  farm  now  occu¬ 
pied  by  Mr.  John  Munro,  previously  the  Squire  Munro  farm, 
was  formerly  a  fort,  situated  on  the  high  ground,  back  of  Mr. 


TOWNS . — E  LBRIDGE. 


325 


Munro’s  house.  When  the  first  settlers  came  to  this  town, 
1793,  the  ditch  and  embankment  were  easily  traced,  amid  the 
heavy  timber,  which  stood  promiscuously,  not  only  on  the  em¬ 
bankment,  but  in  the  ditch.  This  fort  was  square,  except  on 
the  west  side,  the  line  curved  a  little  outward  from  straight. 


Within  the  enclosure  was  about  an  acre  and  a  quarter  of 
ground.  The  embankment  was  about  two  feet  high  all  around, 
except  a  gateway  on  the  west,  about  twelve  feet  wide.  It  was 
situated  on  a  beautiful  eminence,  nearly  surrounded  by  a  deep 
ravine  on  the  west,  and  a  deep  valley  on  the  remaining  sides. 
The  whole  area  thus  surrounded,  contains  about  seventy-five 
acres  of  first  rate  land.  The  timber  was  large,  consisting 
mainly  of  black  oak,  soft  maple  and  small  hemlocks.  What 
is  singular,  on  this  and  some  other  localities  in  this  town  is, 
that  the  ground  was  literally  covered  with  pitch-pine  knots, 
which  lay  strewed  on  the  ground  in  the  same  order  they  had 
fallen,  or  as  my  informant,  Col.  John  Stevens,  remarked, 
“regular,  like  the  ribs  of  a  horse.”  Hundreds  of  wagon 
loads  of  these  knots  have  been  gathered  and  removed,  for  the 
purpose  of  making  torches  for  fishing  in  the  Seneca  River. 
But  one  pitch-pine  tree  was  knovm  to  the  early  settlers  to 
exist  in  this  town,  and  that  was  left  standing  for  several  years 
on  account  of  its  singularity. 

At  Fort  Hill,  on  what  is  called  the  Purdy  lot,  about  half  a 
mile  north-west  from  the  last  named,  is  another  of  these  an¬ 
cient  works.  This  was  of  much  larger  dimensions,  and  con¬ 
tained  about  four  and  a  half  acres  of  ground.  There  were 


326 


ONONDAGA. 


two  gateways,  one  on  the  east,  the  other  on  the  west  side- 


This  is  situated  on  one  of  the  highest  elevations  in  the  town. 

O 

When  first  discovered,  the  embankment  was  nearly  three  feet 
high,  and  on  it  wras  an  oak  tree,  more  than  four  feet  in  diame¬ 
ter.  On  the  south  side  were  numerous  holes,  about  two  feet, 
deep  and  six  feet  apart,  as  if  an  entrenchment  or  circumvallation 
had  been  commenced  and  not  finished.  Large  quantities  of 
dark  brown  pottery,  have  been  picked  up  on  this-ground,  and 
thousands  of  fresh  water  clam  shells,  such  as  are  now  abund¬ 
ant  in  the  Seneca  River.  Mr.  Squire  M.  Brown  gives  the 
following  as  the  substance  of  a  statement  made  to  him  several 
years  ago  by  the  late  Squire  Munro.  On  this  locality  was 
found  an  oaken  box  or  chest,  in  a  decayed  state,  which  upon  ex¬ 
amination  was  found  to  contain  a  quantity  of  silk  goods,  of  vari¬ 
ous  colors.  The  folds  and  colors  were  easily  distinguished. 
These,  after  a  moment’s  exposure  to  the  air,  crumbled  to  dust. 
Several  copper  coins  were  also  found  with  the  silks,  which 
were  deposited  in  some  of  the  Museums  of  New-York  or  Al¬ 
bany.  These  were  found  about  the  year  1800. 

On  lot  eighty-four,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Caleb  Brown, 
Esq.,  about  forty  rods  south  of  the  road,  was  a  circular  fort 
which  covered  over  three  acres  of  ground.  Around  this  was 
an  embankment,  about  twro  feet  higher  than  the  interior  area 
of  the  fort,  and  outside  of  the  embankment,  wras  a  ditch  four 
or  five  feet  deep.  There  was  a  wide  gateway  on  the  west  side, 
and  a  smaller  one  on  the  north-east,  which  gave  communica- 


TOWNS  E  L  B  R I  D  G  E  . 


327 


tion  to  a  spring  a  short  distance  from  the  fort.  In  digging 


about  the  western  gateway,  were  found  several  pieces  of  tim¬ 
ber,  having  the  marks  of  iron  tools  upon  them.  In  a  well 
which  was  some  fourteen  feet  deep,  and  had  probably  at  some 
previous  time  been  timbered  up,  was  found  a  quantity  of 
charred  corn,  of  the  variety  called  Virginia  corn.  Bushels 
of  fragments  of  earthen  ware  have  been  picked  up  on  this 
ground,  and  even  to  this  day,  there  are  multitudes  of  shells 
and  fragments  of  shells  lying  around.  This  locality,  which  is 
at  this  time  (1848)  under  the  plow,  can  be  easily  traced  by 
the  almost  black  appearance  of  the  soil.  Skeletons  and  hu¬ 
man  bones,  some  of  them  of  extraordinary  size,  were  frequent¬ 
ly  turned  up  by  the  plow  in  former  years.  All  these  locali¬ 
ties  were  convenient  to  durable  springs  of  excellent  running 
water. 

On  the  site  of  Mr.  Brown’s  house  and  garden,  including  a 
portion  of  the  highway,  was  an  ancient  circular  fort,  contain¬ 
ing  little  over  an  acre  of  ground,  within  which  were  evidences 
of  a  blacksmith’s  shop,  such  as  cinders,  charcoal,  &c.  Near 
all  these  vestiges  of  ancient  fortification  were  found  many  In¬ 
dian  relics,  which  have  often  been  related  of  other  localities, 
and  relics  of  those  who  had  intercourse  with  them.  From 
what  can  be  gathered  from  observation  and  from  history,  this 
European  occupancy  was  at,  or  nearly  at  the  same  time  with 
that  of  the  French  missionary  and  trading  establishments  at 


328 


ONONDAGA. 


Onondaga  and  Pompey,  and  shows  that  large  numbers  of  these 
people  must  have  sojourned  in  this  region,  whose  minute  his¬ 
tory  is  unknown. 

At  Jack’s  Rifts,  when  the  whites  first  settled  this  town,  the 
Onondagas  had  a  large  settlement,  with  an  extensive  clearing 
and  a  valuable  orchard.  They  had  also  cleared  off  what  is 
called  the  salt  fields,  in  the  town  of  Cato,  and  had  a  small 
settlement  there.  The  country  north  of  Seneca  River  and 
Oneida  River  was  their  favorite  hunting  ground. 

Statistics  for  the  town  of  Elbridge  from  census  of  1845 : 

Number  of  inhabitants,  3,829 ;  subject  to  military  duty, 
446;  voters,  830;  aliens,  170;  paupers,  2;  children  attend¬ 
ing  Common  Schools,  801 ;  acres  of  improved  land,  15,420 ; 
grist  mills,  3  ;  saw  mills,  20  ;  fulling  mills,  1  ;  carding  works, 
1 ;  woolen  factory,  1  ;  iron  works,  1 ;  ashery,  1  ;  tannery,  1 ; 
Academies,  2  ;  Common  Schools,  16  ;  Churches — Baptist.  2  ; 
Presbyterian,  1 ;  Episcopalian,  1 ;  Congregational,  1 ;  Meth¬ 
odist,  1;  stores,  13;  taverns,  9;  groceries,  4  ;  farmers,  648; 
merchants,  18  ;  manufacturers,  37  ;  mechanics,  215 ;  clergy¬ 
men,  5  ;  physicians,  9  ;  lawyers,  5. 

Van  Bub  bn. — This  town  was  erected  and  organized  in 
1829.  It  wxas  taken  from  the  north  part  of  the  original  town¬ 
ship  of  Camillus,  and  received  its  name  from  the  Plon.  Mar¬ 
tin  Van  Buren,  then  newly  elected  Governor  of  the  State  of 
New-York.  The  first  settlements  were  made  in  this  town, 
(then  Marcellus,)  in  1792,  to  1794,  first  by  Joseph  Wilson, 
and  about  the  same  time  by  William  Lindsay,  David  Haynes, 
John  McHarrie,  Reuben  Smith  and  James  Wells.  Soon  af¬ 
ter,  at  what  is  called  the  Warner  settlement,  Eleazar  Dunham 
and  Heman  Warner — and  Benjamin  Bolton,  at  Jack’s  Rifts. 
Phineas  Barnes,  Jonathan  Skinner,  Isaac  Earll,  William  La- 
kin,  Charles  LI.  Tull  and  others,  in  different  parts  of  the 
town,  previous  to  1810.  At  this  period  the  country  was  en¬ 
tirely  new  and  presented  few  attractions  for  settlement,  most 
people  preferring  the  higher  grounds  of  the  townships  of  Ca- 
millus  and  Marcellus,  on  account  of  their  then  more  airy  and 


TOWNS.— VAN  BUREN. 


329 


healthy  situation.  In  these  early  times,  wolves  were  numer¬ 
ous  and  troublesome,  often  doing  immense  damage  to  the 
flocks  of  sheep.  As  a  precaution  against  their  depredations, 
the  farmers  were  obliged  to  erect  high  enclosures  and  fold 
their  flocks  at  night,  and  even  then,  they  would  occasionally 
leap  over  and  destroy  them.  Bears  were  common,  and  deer 
very  plenty,  having  been  driven  from  the  higher  grounds 
south,  by  the  clearing  up  of  the  forests  in  that  quarter. 

The  first  settlement  in  this  town,  approaching  anything  like 
a  village,  was  at  what  is  now  called  Ionia.  Phineas  Bates 
erected  the  first  frame  house,  in  1808,  and  Isaac  Earll  an¬ 
other,  soon  after,  and  Charles  H.  Tull,  another.  The  first 
Post  Office  was  established  in  town,  in  1816,  and  called  Ionia, 
which  gave  name  to  the  village  ;  Charles  IP.  Tull,  Post  Mas¬ 
ter.  Pie  was  succeeded  by  Oliver  Nicholls,  and  Oliver  by 
Job  Nicholls.  After  the  completion  of  the  canal,  business 
was  attracted  to  that  quarter  and  the  prospects  of  Ionia  were 
destroyed. 

The  first  lawyer  who  established  himself  in  this  town  was 
Theodore  Popell,  in  1818.  The  second  was  Medad  Curtis,  in 
1829.  The  first  physician  who  practiced  in  this  town,  was 
Jonathan  S.  Buel,  in  1815,  at  Ionia.  The  first  at  Canton, 
and  second  in  town,  was  Wm.  Laughlin,  1812.  First  town 
meeting  for  Van  Buren,  was  held  at  the  house  of  Ebenezer 
Dunham,  26th  of  March,  1829,  at  which,  Gabriel  Tappan 
was  chosen  Supervisor,  and  Abel  Tryon,  Town  Clerk. 

The  first  religious  society,  formed  in  this  town,  was  of  the 
denomination,  termed  “  Christians ,”  inclining  to  the  Baptist 
mode  of  worship,  at  Ionia.  Presbyterian  and  Methodist  so¬ 
ciety  at  Warner’s  settlement,  1830.  The  Baptist  society  at 
Canton,  was  organized  1832,  or  1833.  Obacliah  E.  Morrell, 
the  first  minister  in  the  Christian  house  of  worship,  and  John 
Guthrie  and  Benjamin  Rider,  succeeded  him.  Elder  Rey¬ 
nolds,  first  officiated  as  pastor  in  the  Baptist  society,  at  Can¬ 
ton,  and  next  after  him,  Elders  Brown,  Hough  and  Bates. 
Canton  is  a  smart  little  village,  situated  on  the  Jordan  level  of 
the  Erie  Canal.  It  has  grown  up  since  the  canal  was  completed, 


330 


ONONDAGA. 


and  contains  about  forty  houses,  and  over  two  hundred  inhab¬ 
itants.  The  Post  Office  is  called  Canal,  and  was  established 
in  1828.  There  are  two  other  Post  Offices  in  town,  called 
Van  Buren,  and  Van  Buren  Center. 

The  water  power  in  this  town  is  but  slight,  except  on  the 
Seneca  River,  the  streams  being  small,  and  the  surface  level. 
Dead  Creek  is  the  largest  stream,  and  is  very  sluggish.  On 
the  banks  of  the  streams  in  this  town,  is  an  abundance  of 
marl  and  calcareous  tufa,  which  presents  itself  frequently,  in 
large  quantities,  and  the  time  will  soon  come  when  these  marl 
beds,  will  be  used  as  a  dressing  for  the  sandy  soils  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  may  be  made  useful  to  the  southern  towns. 

The  town  of  Yan  Buren  is  rapidly  improving.  It  is  gen¬ 
erally  level,  the  soil  alternating  in  sandy  and  clay  loam,  is 
very  productive.  The  dwellings  are  mostly  new,  and  present 
an  air  of  comfort  and  taste,  not  so  frequently  displayed  in 
the  older  settled  towns.  One  feature  is  particularly  worthy 
of  notice— the  barns  are  beautiful  structures  in  their  kind, 
very  many  of  which  are  handsomely  clapboarded  and  orna¬ 
mented  with  a  heavy  cornice  and  painted.  These  evidences 
of  prosperity  and  thrift,  tell  well  for  the  industry,  perseve¬ 
rance  and  taste  of  the  farming  portion  of  the  community. 

Statistics  of  the  town  of  Yan  Buren,  taken  from  the  con- 
sus  of  1845 : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  3057  ;  subject  to  military  duty, 
285  ;  voters,  688  ;  aliens,  35 ;  children  attending  common 
schools,  766;  grist  mills,  2;  sawmills,  6;  carding  machines, 
2  ;  iron  works,  1  ;  Tanneries,  1  ;  churches — Baptist,  2 ;  Con¬ 
gregational,  1 ;  Unitarian,  1 ;  common  schools,  16  ;  taverns, 
4  ;  stores,  3  ;  groceries,  5 ;  farmers,  534  ;  merchants,  5  ;  man¬ 
ufacturers,  27  ;  mechanics,  157  ;  clergymen,  8  ;  physicians,  6  ; 
lawyei’s,  4. 

Fabius. — This  town  was  taken  from  Pompey  in  1798  and 
included  two  military  townships,  viz;  Fabius  and  Tully,  and 
included  all  the  present  towns  of  Fabius,  Tully,  Truxton  and 
Preble,  with  parts  of  Spafford  and  Otisco,  being  ten  by  twenty 


TOWNS.— FABI  US. 


331 


miles  in  extent.  In  1803  Tully  was  taken  from  it,  and  erect¬ 
ed  into  a  town  by  itself.  In  1808,  when  the  county  of  Cort¬ 
land  was  set  off  from  Onondaga,  the  town  of  Truxton  was  ta¬ 
ken  from  the  southern  part  of  Fahius. 

The  forests  of  this  town  were  heavy.  The  timber  consist¬ 
ed  of  hemlock,  beech,  maple,  basswood,  elm,  ash  and  butternut, 
with  some  pine  and  oak.  The  settlement  of  this  town  com¬ 
menced  at  a  somewhat  later  period,  than  the  towns  of  Pompey 
and  Manlius.  The  first  settlers  erected  their  log  cabins  in  the 
dense  forests,  and  the  only  guides  to  them  were  marked  trees, 
or  the  curling  smoke,  as  it  ascended  from  their  rude  chimneys 
or  open  roofs.  The  first  marks  of  civilization  had  not  then 
been  made  in  this  wilderness  land.  The  noxious  beasts  roam¬ 
ed  in  perfect  freedom,  and  the  wild  deer  bounded  at  will,  un¬ 
conscious  of  danger.  The  valleys  were  nature’s  pasture  ground, 
the  domestic  herds  roamed  at  will  and  grew  fat  on  the  sponta¬ 
neous  herbage,  liberally  provided  for  them.  The  tinkling  bell, 
directed  the  anxious  settler  to  the  object  of  his  search,  and  its 
familiar  sounds  were  joyfully  followed,  till  the  obedient  ox, 
and  docile  cow,  were  brought  by  the  sturdy  woodman  to  the 
door  of  his  humble  dwelling.  The  one  a  welcome  auxiliary 
to  labor,  the  other  an  indispensable  help  to  sustenance. 

The  first  settlers  in  this  town,  were  Mr.  Josiah  Moore  and 
Timothy  Jerome,  who  settled  here  in  1794,  and  were  from 
old  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts.  They  erected  the  first  log 
houses  in  town,  and  for  the  first  year,  were  entirely  alone. 
During  the  following  year,  several  other  families  removed  from 
Massachusetts  to  Fabius,  among  whom,  were  Colonel  Elijah 
St.  John,  now,  (1847)  upwards  of  eighty  years  of  age,  and 
the  only  settler  of  that  period  living.  The  first  town  meet¬ 
ing  was  held  at  the  house  of  Joseph  Tubbs,  April  3d,  1798, 
at  which  Timothy  Jerome  was  chosen  supervisor,  and  Josiah. 
Moore  town  clerk  ;  Benjamin  Brown,  Timothy  Walker  and 
Elijah  St.  John,  assessors  ;  Joseph  Tubbs,  James  Cravath  and 
William  Blanchard,  commissioners  of  highways  ;  Ezekiel  Dun¬ 
ham,  constable.  These  may  be  considered  the  primary  settlers 
of  the  town  of  Fabius.  Second  town  meeting,  was  held  at 


332 


ONONDAGA. 


the  same  place,  2d  April,  1799,  Timothy  Jerome,  chosen  su¬ 
pervisor,  Benjamin  Brown,  town  clerk.  Mr.  Jerome  was  the 
first,  and  for  a  long  time  the  only  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  this 
town,  and  for  the  surrounding  country.  The  first  frame  house 
was  erected  by  Josiah  Moore  in  1800.  Others  were  erected 
soon  after,  and  the  inhabitants  soon  abounded  in  all  the  com¬ 
forts  and  conveniences  of  life.  In  1810  the  population  was 
almost  1,900.  The  only  means  of  subsistence,  to  which  these 
early  pioneers  were  accessible,  were  provisions  brought  with 
them  from  the  east,  for  the  first  two  years,  except  deer  and 
some  kinds  of  small  game  which  were  found  here  in  abundance. 
Wild  plums  and  blackberries  were  plenty,  and  these,  with  milk, 
satisfied  the  wants,  and  furnished  the  luxuries  of  their  boards. 
The  first  mills  to  which  they  had  recourse  short  of  Herkimer, 
were  Danforth’s  on  the  Butternut  creek. 

The  first  school  taught  in  this  town,  was  by  Miss  Jerome, 
wife  of  the  late  Judge  James  Geddes.  She  had  received  a 
competent  education  before  leaving  New-England.  The  school 
house  was  built  of  logs  and  the  only  one  in  town,  and  for  a 
year  or  two  was  the  only  seat  of  learning  in  that  portion  of 
country.  The  first  house  of  worship  erected  in  this  town,  was 
the  Baptist  at  Fabius  Center,  now  Franklinville ;  society  or¬ 
ganized,  21st  November,  1806,  under  the  title  of  “  the  first 
Baptist  Society  of  Fabius.”  Richard  Wheat,  Simeon  Keeny, 
jr.,  Samuel  Moray,  Lewis  Howell  and  Jasper  Partridge,  trus¬ 
tees.  The  association  was  afterwards  revived,  and  Elijah  St. 
John,  Jonathan  Stanley,  Aa.ron  Benedict,  John  Phelps,  Ste¬ 
phen  Tripp,  Simeon  Keeny,  Nathaniel  Bacon,  Benjamin  Lucas, 
jr.,  and  George  Petit,  trustees.  The  first  organized  society  was 
in  1805,  under  the  title  of  the  First  Society  of  Fabius, — Elijah 
Miles  and  David  Joy,  trustees.  In  1836,  a  newspaper  was  es¬ 
tablished  at  Fabius,  entitled  the  “American  Patriot,”  by 
Joseph  Tenny,  and  continued  about  thrqe  years. 

The  soil  of  this  town  is  better  adapted  to  raising  coarse 
grain  and  grazing,  than  wheat,  although  wheat  has  been  raised, 
enough  ordinarily  for  home  consumption.  The  marketing  at 
the  earliest  period  of  settlement  for  surplus  produce,  was  main- 


TOWNS.— FABIUS. 


333 


ly  done  at  Utica,  Whitestown  and  Herkimer.  It  was  not  un¬ 
common  for  a  fanner  to  take  a  load  of  produce  upon  an  ox~ 
sled,  make  his  way  to  one  of  the  above  places,  dispose  of  his 
products,  and  lay  out  the  avails  for  necessaries  sufficient  for 
the  year ;  and  many  a  noble  matron  of  that  period  thought  it 
often  enough  to  visit  “  the  Store”  once  in  a  year,  to  procure 
the  luxuries,  and  fashions  for  her  daughters.  The  truth  is, 
necessaries  then,  were  really  so  ;  they  kept  soul  and  body  unit¬ 
ed.  And  luxuries  were  only  another  name  for  those  articles 
which  could  not  possibly  be  dispensed  with. 

The  streams  in  this  town  are  small,  most  of  which  are  trib¬ 
utaries  to  the  Susquehanna,  through  the  Tiouglmioga  Creek. 
On  these  small,  but  durable  streams,  numerous  saw  mills,  four 
grist  mills  and  four  tanneries  have  been  erected,  but  are  not 
of  sufficient  power  for  more  important  machinery.  The  But¬ 
ternut  and  Limestone  Creeks,  take  rise  in  this  town  and  afford 
some  water  power.  The  first  grist  and  saw  mills  erected,  in 
this  town,  were  by  Thomas  Miles  on  the  Butternut  Creek  west 
of  Apulia.  Franklinville  and  Apulia,  are  post  villages  in  this 
town,  and  are  brisk  business  places.  The  first  Post  Office  was 
at  Truxton  village,  (then  in  Fabius).  Established  about  1803 
or  1804.  At  a  much  later  period  Post  Offices  were  established 
at  Apulia,  and  Franklinville.  Elijah  Miles  was  the  first  State 
Senator  from  this  town.  The  first  Assemblyman,  Jonathan 
Stanley,  in  1812.  Josiah  Tubbs  was  the  first  tavern  keeper, 
in  1797,  near  Tully,  at  whose  house  town  meetings  were  first 
held. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  Limestone  creek,  two  miles  south 
of  Delphi,  is  an  extensive  deposit  of  calcareous  tufa,  rising 
abruptly,  some  fifty  feet  from  the  valley  below.  Intermingled, 
are  various  substances,  of  vegetable  deposit,  such  as  brush¬ 
wood,  leaves,  herbaceous  plants,  &c.  There  are  kilns  at  this 
place,  for  the  extensive  manufacture  of  lime.  At  one  of  these, 
the  tufa  is  moistened  and  moulded  into  forms  or  large  tiles, 
about  ten  inches  square,  and  four  inches  thick,  and  burned 
similar  to  bricks.  At  another,  it  is  burned  without  this  prep¬ 
aration.  It  produces  a  beautiful,  perfect,  unadulterated  white 


334 


ONONDAGA. 


lime,  muck  sought  for  whitewashing,  and  for  hard-finish  Avails. 
There  are  the  three  varieties  found  here,  the  earthy,  the  solid 
or  horse-bone  commonly  so  called,  and  the  ferruginous.  There 
are  occasional  instances,  where  the  tufa  assumes  a  semi-chrys- 
talline  appearance,  like  alabaster,  and  might  be  obtained  for  or¬ 
namental  purposes,  similar  to  that  beautiful  substance. 

Schools  are  numerous  and  flourishing.  The  interest  felt  for 
the  cause  of  education,  is  highly  creditable,  and  laudable  ef¬ 
forts  are  put  forth  to  sustain  and  improve  it.  Connected  with 
the  early  settlement  of  this  town  is  a  little  incident,  which, 
though  unimportant,  happily  illustrates  the  characteristics  of 
the  hardy  pioneers  of  this  favored  spot.  It  is  a  hunt  for  a 
lost  child.  The  family  had  erected  their  log  cabin  in  1799. 
Col.  St.  John  and  Judge  Miles,  had  just  taken  up  their  abode 
here.  This  family  had  three  or  four  small  children,  and  among 
them  an  interesting  little  girl,  perhaps  three  years  old.  The 
children  had  played  about  in  the  bushes  near  the  house,  as 
usual,  and  Avhen  night  approached  they  all  came  in,  except  the 
little  girl,  who  was  missing.  The  mother  called,  but  no  voice 
responded.  Darkness  came  on,  and  the  blackness  of  night 
excluded  every  object  from  vieAv.  It  requires  no  effort  to  de¬ 
scribe  the  keenness  of  the  suffering  and  agony  which  pervaded 
the  bosoms  of  the  bereaved  family  group.  The  alarm  Avas 
speedily  given,  to  the  scattering  population,  for  miles  around. 
Each  man  Avith  a  bark  torch  in  hand,  repaired  to  the  scene  of 
distress.  The  Avoods  Avere  thoroughly  scoured  by  torch-light, 
but  no  child  could  be  found.  During  the  night  the  Avhole 
country  had  been  alarmed,  and  by  day-light  the  next  morning 
a  large  force  Avas  ready  upon  the  ground,  to  proceed  in  search. 
The  men  Avere  marshaled  under  the  command  of  officers  cho¬ 
sen  on  the  spot,  and  the  search  Avas  systematically  reneAved. 
As  the  line  swept  around  in  a  Avide  circuit,  words  could  be 
readily  passed  from  one  to  another,  so  as  to  keep  up  a  constant 
and  regular  communication  throughout  the  whole  extent. 
About  ten  o’clock  in  the  forenoon,  Avord  passed  through  the 
line — “  child  found.”  This  intelligence  produced  the  most 
frantic  joy,  and  complete  disorder.  He  that  could  leap  the 


TOWNS  . — T  U  L  L  Y . 


335 


highest,  run  the  fastest,  or  was  nearest  the  house,  got  there 
first.  Judge  Miles,  now  no  more,  was  the  fortunate  finder. 
The  child  had  lain  on  a  nice  little  bed  of  leaves,  between  two 
logs,  and  when  the  Judge  stepped  upon  one  of  them,  the  little 
innocent  was  standing  on  her  feet,  and  looking  him  full  in  the 
face,  writh  a  smile  of  affection  upon  her  lip  saluted  him  with 
the  endearing  cry  of  papa.  The  child  had  apparently  slept 
well  and  exhibited  no  signs  of  suffering,  though  the  night  had 
been  chilly  and  cold.  When  the  child  was  restored  to  the 
arms  of  its  mother,  sprightly  and  cheerful,  her  sighs  of  agony 
were  turned  to  tears  of  joy,  which  flowed  most  copiously.  In¬ 
deed  the  sturdy  hunters  and  hardy  axmen,  who  witnessed  it, 
could  hardly  refrain  from  weeping. 

According  to  the  census  of  1845,  there  are  in  the  town  of 
Fabius : — 

Inhabitants,  2,529  ;  aliens,  8  :  voters,  567  ;  subject  to  mil¬ 
itary  duty,  135 ;  paupers,  3 ;  children  attending  Common 
Schools,  742;  acres  of  improved  land,  18,238  ;  grist  mills,  3; 
•  saw  mills,  12  ;  fulling  mills,  2  ;  carding  machines,  2;  asherics, 
2 ;  tanneries,  4 ;  Churches, — Baptist,  2  ;  Methodist,  2  ;  Con¬ 
gregational  or  Presbyterian,  1 ;  common  schools,  20  ;  taverns, 
4  ;  stores,  5  ;  merchants,  10  ;  lawyers,  2  ;  clergymen,  5  ;  phy¬ 
sicians,  3  ;  farmers,  361 ;  mechanics,  91. 

Tully. — This  was  one  of  the  original  townships  of  the 
Military  Tract.  In  the  first  organization  of  towns,  it  was  in¬ 
cluded  in  the  town  of  Pompey.  In  1803,  the  township  of 
Tully  was  set  oft'  in  a  town  by  itself,  and  in  1808,  when  the 
county  of  Cortland  was  erected,  the  towns  of  Truxton  and 
Preble  were  taken  from  the  southern  portions  of  Fabius  and 
Tully.  A  portion  of  the  township  was  afterwards  still  further 
divided  in  1811,  by  adding  a  part  to  the  town  of  Spafford,  so 
that  at  the  present  time  the  town  is  but  about  five  miles  square. 
Settlements  were  commenced  in  this  town  in  1795,  by  farmers 
principally  from  the  New  England  States,  who  hold  their  land 
in  fee  simple.  The  first  settler  in  this  town  was  David  Owen, 
who  came  here  in  1795.  Directly  after,  came  James  Cravath, 


336 


ONONDAGA. 


William  Trowbridge,  and  others.  The  first  log  house  in  town 
was  built  by  David  Owen,  in  1795,  and  Timothy  Walker  built 
the  first  frame  house,  in  1797,  and  Moses  Nash  the  second, 
both  in  Tully  Village.  Peter  Henderson  was  the  first  child 
born  in  town,  1796. 

In  early  times  the  people  from  these  southern  towns,  and 
from  Homer,  Solon,  Cincinnatus,  Marathon,  &c.,  used  to  come 
down  to  Jackson’s,  Ward’s  and  Sanford’s  Mills,  with  drays 
loaded  with  wheat  and  corn,  drawn  by  oxen,  to  get  their  grind¬ 
ing  done.  These  drays  were  made  of  the  crotches  of  trees 
hewed  out  and  boards  pinned  across.  Ten  bushels  was  con¬ 
sidered  a  pretty  large  load  to  drag  along  twenty  or  thirty 
miles,  on  such  a  rude  vehicle,  with  one  yoke  of  oxen.  The 
first  store  in  this  town,  and  at  Tully  Village,  was  by  Moses 
Nash,  in  1803.  Previous  to  this,  trading  was  done  at  Pom- 
pey  Hill,  and  what  is  now  called  Truxton  Village,  where  small 
stores  had  previously  been  opened.  In  1805,  John  Meeker, 
one  of  the  most  extensive  merchants  in  the  country,  succeeded 
Mr.  Nash,  and  took  the  lead  of  business  and  trade  in  that 
part  of  the  country.  Nicholas  Lewis  opened  a  tavern  in  Tully 
Village  in  1802,  and  Jacob  Johnson  succeeded  him  in  1807 ; 
he  was  succeeded  by  William  Trowbridge.  The  Hamilton  and 
Skaneateles  Turnpike  was  laid  out  in  1806,  from  Richfield 
through  Brookfield,  Hamilton  and  Fabius,  to  the  outlet  of 
Otisco  Lake,  thence  to  the  outlet  of  the  Skaneateles  Lake. 
Lemuel  Fitch,  Samuel  Marsh,  Elisha  Payne,  David  Smith, 
Elijah  St.  John,  Comfort  Tyler,  Samuel  Tyler,  Thaddeus  Ed¬ 
wards  and  Elnathan  Andrews,  were  the  principal  movers  in< 
procuring  the  passage  of  the  act  of  incorporation,  and  obtain¬ 
ing  share-holders,  and  getting  the  road  laid  out,  worked  and 
finished.  This  enterprise  opened  through  this  town  and  others 
in  its  vicinity,  a  way  of  communication,  which  added  essen¬ 
tially  to  the  business  and  prosperity  of  the  country  through 
which  it  passed.  It  was  not  long  before  its  advantages  and 
effects  were  realized  and  appreciated.  It  gave  a  spur  to  busi¬ 
ness  ;  it  gave  confidence  to  community,  and  the  results  which 
have  flowed  from  it  have  been  salutary  and  satisfactory.  The 


TOWNS— TULLY. 


337 


first  school  established  in  town  was  kept  in  Timothy  Walker’s 
barn,  and  taught  by  Miss  Ruth  Thorp,  in  1801.  Wc  see  here 
what  is  not  noticeable  in  every  town,  that  a  school  was  the 
first  public  object  to  which  the  inhabitants  turned  their  atten¬ 
tion,  thus  placing  before  their  children  the  means  of  making 
themselves  useful  members  of  society  and  distinguished  citi¬ 
zens.  A  log  school  house  was  erected  in  1804,  at  Tully  Vil¬ 
lage,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  frame  one  in  1809.  Othei'3 
soon  made  their  appearance  in  different  parts  of  the  town, 
and  education  in  the  common  schools,  with  its  multifarious  ad¬ 
vantages,  has  always  been  well  appreciated,  and  from  first  to 
last  has  made  commendable  progress.  From  the  commence¬ 
ment  of  the  settlement  of  the  town,  religious  meetings  were 
held  in  several  neighborhoods,  at  barns,  and  in  cold  inclement 
weather,  at  people’s  houses.  It  was  thought  no  hardship  in 
those  days  for  a  whole  family  to  walk  a  few  miles  to  meeting, 
father  carrying  the  baby,  and  the  elder  children  trudging 
along  on  foot,  aided  by  the  mother  in  crossing  the  small 
streams  and  muddy  places.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Riddle,  a  Presby¬ 
terian  missionary  from  New  England,  was  the  first  clergyman 
who  officiated  in  this  town.  A  large  proportion  of  the  new 
settlers  were  of  that  way  of  thinking,  bringing  with  them 
from  New  England,  their  high  toned  moral  and  religious  sen¬ 
timents  and  opinions,  which  were  the  ground  work  here  in  the 
wilderness,  of  their  spiritual  prosperity.  The  meetings  of 
Mr.  Riddle  are  represented  by  the  few  who  yet  linger  here 
and  were  witnesses  of  his  labors,  and  have  sat  under  his  teach¬ 
ings,  as  having  been  highly  interesting.  He  organized  a  Pres¬ 
byterian  society  in  1804.  It  was  organized  anew  under  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Parsons.  This  society  was  kept  up  till  about  1830, 
when  it  was  discontinued,  so  that  now  there  is  no  society  of 
that  denomination  in  town.  A  Baptist  society  was  organized 
at  an  early  period. of  the  history  of  the  town,  with  but  four¬ 
teen  members.  Elder  Abbot  was  their  first  spiritual  teacher, 
and  also  Elder  Rufus  Freeman.  Meetings  were  held  in  barns 
and  at  individuals  houses,  till  their  new  house  of  worship  was 
erected  in  1824.  A  Methodist  society  was  organized  in  1828 

b  22 


338 


ONONDAGA. 


or  1829.  Their  first  preacher  was  Elder  Sayres,  a  circuit 
preacher,  who  succeeded  well  in  his  labors,,  and  drew  together 
very  respectable  congregations.  He  was  succeeded  by  Elder 
Puffer,  familiarly  known,  and  to  many  perhaps  better,  by  the 
title  of  “Old  Chapter  and  Verse,”  for  in  his  discourses  he 
was  remarkable  for  his  numerous  quotations  of  Scripture, 
never  omitting  the  chapter  and  verse  where  they  might  be 
found.  There  is  a  Methodist  church  and  society  at  Vesper, 
and  a  society  calling  themselves  Disciples,  in  this  town.  The 
first  Post  Office  was  established  at  Tully,  in  1815  or  1816, 
Mr.  Nicholl  Howell,  Post  Master.  He  was  succeeded  by  Wil¬ 
liam  Trowbridge.  Previous  to  this,  mail  matter  was  obtained 
from  Preble  Corners,  then  the  central  point  in  the  town  of 
Tully.  The  first  and  earliest  settlers  received  their  papers 
and  letters  at  Pompey  Hill  Post  Office.  Vesper  Post  Office 
established  in  1827,  William  Clark  Post  Master ;  and  Tully 
Valley  Post  Office  1836,  George  Salisbury,  Post  Master.  It 
is  said  there  is  not  now  a  single  Revolutionary  soldier  or  pen¬ 
sioner  in  town.  The  first  grist  mill  in  town  was  erected  by 
Peter  Van  Camp,  in  1810,  about  three  miles  west  of  Tully 
Village,  and  a  saw  mill  at  the  same  place  and  time.  The 
number  has  since  increased  to  three  grist  mills  and  eight  saw 
mills.  There  is  here  an  almost  perpendicular  fall,  of  about 
ninety  feet,  with  only  one  break,  which  in  high  water  presents 
a  very  beautiful  and  picturesque  appearance.  There  is  a 
swamp  near  the  village  of  Tully,  from  which  issue  tAvo  streams, 
one  of  which  flows  south,  being  the  head  of  the  Tioughnioga 
Creek,  the  head  waters  of  the  Susquehanna,  and  Chesapeake 
Bay.  The  other  branch  flows  north,  forming  the  head  of  the 
Butternut  Creek,  flowing  on  to  the  St.  Lawrence.  Both  these 
streams  are  of  sufficient  capacity  for  driving  mills  and  other 
machinery,  and  are  so  employed.  One  branch  of  the  Onon¬ 
daga  Creek  rises  in  this  town  farther  west,  and  the  Tully  lakes 
also  find  their  way  to  the  Susquehanna.  The  town  is  well 
watered  by  springs  and  brooks,  has  high  ridges  of  hills  on  the 
east  and  west  boundaries.  But  its  valleys  are  extensive,  rich 
and  productive.  Tully  Flats  are  much  admired  for  their 


TOWNS.— 0T1SC0. 


339 


beauty  and  fertility.  This  town  is  about  eighteen  miles  south 
of  Syracuse.  In  1810,  it  had  a  population  of  about  one 
thousand  and  one  hundred  inhabitants.  At  the  organization 
of  the  town  in  1803,  the  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Samuel  Trowbridge,  on  the  first  of  May.  Phineas 
Howell  was  chosen  Supervisor,  Amos  Skeel,  Town  Clerk,  Ja¬ 
cob  Johnson,  Samuel  Cravath,  Solomon  Babcock,  Assessors, 
and  Floyd  Howell,  James  Cravath  and  Solomon  Babcock, 
Commissioners  of  Highways ;  second  and  third  years,  the  same 
were  re-elected.  Job  L.  Lewis  and  Moses  Nash  were  Justices 
of  the  Peace  1808  to  1812.  Mr.  Nash  afterwards  moved  to 
Indiana,  became  a  distinguished  man,  and  at  a  State  General 
Election,  came  within  one  vote  of  being  elected  Governor  of 
that  State. 

Amos  Skeel  first  Justice  of  the  Peace,  1803.  Considera¬ 
ble  matter  which  would  properly  belong  to  this  town  has  been 
embraced  in  the  town  of  Fabius,  because  from  1798  to  1803, 
Tully  was  a  part  of  Fabius.  Reader  will  therefore  consider 
that  those  five  years  of  first  settlement,  the  two  towns  were 
one,  and  events  identical. 

According  to  the  census  of  1845,  there  was  in  the  town  of 
Tully : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  1,621 :  subject  to  military  duty, 
125;  voters,  378;  aliens,  13;  children  attending  Common 
Schools,  435 ;  acres  of  improved  land,  10,909 ;  grist  mills, 
4;  saw  mills,  5;  carding  machines,  2;  woolen  factory  1; 
trip  hammer,  1 ;  asheries,  2  ;  tanneries,  2 ;  Churches — Bap¬ 
tist,  1  ;  Seven  Day  Baptist,  1 ;  Methodist,  2  ;  common  schools, 
9  ;  taverns,  4  ;  stores,  4  ;  farmers,  190  ;  merchants,  4  ;  man¬ 
ufacturers,  1 ;  mechanics,  60  ;  clergymen,  3  ;  physicians,  3  ; 
lawyers,  1. 

Otisco. — Wyllys  Gaylord. — Men  compose  a  nation ;  their 
lives  and  transactions  constitute  its  character  and  history, 
and  favored  indeed  is  that  people,  when  blessed  with  such  a 
man  as  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Such  men  leave  the  im¬ 
press  of  their  minds  and  of  their  deeds,  not  only  upon  those 


340 


ONONDAGA. 


with  whom  they  may  become  familiar,  but  the  world  at 
large  is  improved,  and  succeeding  generations  reap  the  bene¬ 
fit  of  their  precepts  and  examples.  Their  character  is  stamped 
upon  all  with  whom  they  may  chance  to  come  in  contact,  and 
their  deeds  elevate  and  improve  mankind. 

Wyllys  Gaylord  was  born  in  Bristol,  Connecticut,  1792. 
In  1801,  Lemon  Gaylord,  the  father  of  Wyllys,  moved  to  the 
town  of  Otisco,  he  being  the  third  settler  in  the  town.  At 
that  time  his  son  was  but  nine  years  old.  At  this  early  age, 
the  deep  shade  of  an  almost  unbroken  forest,  as  the  wander¬ 
ing  pioneers  penetrated  its  dark  recesses  in  the  beginning  of 
summer,  guided  only  by  “blazed  trees,”  made  an  impression 
upon  his  mind  and  excited  a  passion  for  woodland  scenery 
which  was  never  effaced.  Admiration,  and  even  enthusiam 
filled  his  mind,  as  in  after  years  he  spoke  of  the  scenes  and 
perils  of  early  forest  life.  In  a  letter  written  but  a  short  time 
before  his  death,  he  says  :*  “  When  we  entered  these  forests, 
the  heavy  foliage  wore  its  richest  green,  and  the  elm,  the  ma¬ 
ple  and  the  linden,  were  successively  laden  with  flowers  ;  and 
never  shall  I  forget  the  rich,  the  indescribable  perfume  which 
filled  the  air,  as  tree  after  tree  was  cut  down  ;  and  day  after 
day  passed  away  before  the  blossqms  had  ceased  to  exhale 
their  odors  from  their  withered  cups.” 

At  this  early  period,  it  was  his  misfortune  to  be  necessa¬ 
rily  deprived  from  the  advantages  of  schools  ;  for  as  yet,  none 
had  been  established  in  the  town.  But  to  compensate  in  a 
measure  for  this,  the  father  at  intervals  gave  wholesome  les¬ 
sons  of  instruction.  By  these  he  was  benefitted,  and  limited 
as  it  was,  it  laid  the  foundation  of  his  future  usefulness.  At 
the  early  age  of  twelve  years,  he  was  violently  attacked  with 
a  rheumatic  affection,  which  resulted  in  a  curvature  of  the 
spine,  and  completely  unfitted  him  in  all  after  life  for  any 
active  or  laborious  pursuit.  His  desire  for  knowledge  and  his 
love  for  books  was  such,  that  physical  infirmity  presented  no 
obstacle  to  his  researches  after  knowledge.  Being  unable  to 


*  Cultivator,  Vol.  I,  p.  137. 


TOWNS.— OTISCO. 


341 


attend  school,  he  studied  such  books  as  chance  happened  to 
throw  in  his  way.  The  catalogue  at  that  early  period  was 
small  ;  but  such  as  he  had  access  to,  he  mastered  with  great 
avidity,  aided  in  the  more  difficult  portions  by  those  to  whom 
circumstances  gave  him  admission.  He  was  remarkable  for 
his  assiduity  in  studying  all  books  which  came  within  his 
reach ;  and  at  an  early  age  his  mind  was  stored  with  a  fund 
of  intellectual  wrealth,  from  which  in  after  years  he  could 
draw  with  pleasure  and  profit.  Often  has  he  been  known  to 
sit  for  hours  under  the  shade  of  some  wide  spread  tree,  listen¬ 
ing  to  the  songs  of  the  birds  and  the  chirping  of  insects,  pur¬ 
suing  his  studies  with  pencil  and  note  book  in  hand  preserv¬ 
ing  the  current  of  his  thoughts.  While  thus  anxiously  en¬ 
gaged  in  the  quiet  pursuit  of  knowledge,  and  in  the  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  such  a  measure  of  health  as  permitted  him  to  engage 
occasionally  in  the  lighter  labors  of  the  field,  he  met  with  an 
accident,  which  entailed  upon  him  a  vast  amount  of  suffering, 
and  rendered  him  nearly  helpless  until  death.  It  was  occa¬ 
sioned  by  a,  fall,  from  which  at  the  time,  he  noticed  only  a 
slight  bruise  on  the  left  arm.  It  afterwards  swelled  and  be¬ 
came  a  running  sore  inclining  to  scrofula,  causing  a  slough¬ 
ing  off  of  the  bone,  rendering  his  arm  ever  after  entirely  use¬ 
less.  This  affection  of  the  arm  continued  for  many  years,  and 
when  it  healed,  an  abscess  formed  in  one  of  his  sides,  which 
was  troublesome,  with  occasional  alleviations  till  the  day  of 
his  death.  Notwithstanding  these  bodily  infirmities  and  ex¬ 
cessive  pain,  he  Avas  remarkable  for  his  cheerful  and  happy 
disposition,  and  under  the  most  acute  suffering,  was  never 
known  to  complain.  Ilis  physical  constitution  was  exceeding¬ 
ly  slight.  His  weight  Avas  less  than  one  hundred  pounds,  low 
in  stature,  and  by  no  means  prepossessing  in  personal  ap¬ 
pearance  ;  but  when  he  opened  his  mouth,  the  melody  of  his 
voice,  the  richness  of  his  tones,  and  his  happy  manner  of  ex¬ 
pression,  immediately  dissipated  all  preconceived  opinions  of 
his  inferiority. 

His  favorite  resort  was  to  the  beautiful  shore  of  the  lake  in 
the  vicinity  of  his  house  ;  there,  Avhile  gazing  upon  the  charm- 


342 


ONONDAGA. 


ing  view,  inhaling  the  balmy  breeze,  and  contemplating  the 
works  of  a  beneficent  Creator,  his  mind  was  refreshed,  his 
imagination  enlivened,  and  from  these  quiet  resources  have 
flowed  in  uncontaminated  streams  the  workings  of  his  admira¬ 
ble  genius. 

For  more  than  twenty  years  he  was  a  valuable  contributor 
to  many  of  the  scientific  journals  of  the  day,  in  this  country; 
and  in  several  instances,  to  some  of  the  most  popular  maga¬ 
zines  of  Europe.  His  contributions  to  the  newspaper  press 
of  this  country,  on  every  variety  of  topic,  literary,  scientific, 
religious,  miscellaneous,  and  occasionally  poetry,  have  been 
numerous  and  of  the  highest  order  of  excellence.  He  was  the 
author  of  several  prize  essays  upon  various  subjects,  published 
in  the  magazines  of  New-York,  Boston  and  Philadelphia.  It 
is  believed,  that  in  no  instance  where  his  talents  were  exerted, 
has  he  failed  in  taking  a  premium.  It  has  been  remarked 
by  Judge  Buell  and  other  distinguished  men,  that  he  had  not 
his  equal  in  the  land  as  a  ready  prose  writer.  He  composed 
with  wonderful  facility  and  so  correctly,  that  his  first  produc¬ 
tions  needed  little  or  no  criticism,  extra  embellishment  or  cor¬ 
rection.  He  possessed  the  most  fascinating  colloquial  powers, 
and  his  conversations  were  marked  for  being  highly  intellect¬ 
ual,  exeeedingly  chaste,  agreeable  and  instructive.  He  had 
made  the  study  of  medicine  an  accessory  to  his  pleasures  and 
pursuits  ;  and  physicians  who  have  enjoyed  his  acquaintance, 
award  to  him  the  merit  of  being  theoretically,  a  man  of  sci¬ 
ence,  well  skilled  in  all  the  minutiae  of  the  Materia  dleclica, 
and  second  to  few  in  the  depths  of  investigation,  and  in  cor¬ 
rectness  of  judgment. 

He  was  fond  of  music  and  possessed  considerable  mechani¬ 
cal  genius.  He  constructed  a  very  fine  toned  organ,  without 
the  aid  of  an  instrument  to  look  upon,  solely  from  a  drawing 
and  description  given  in  the  Edinburgh  Encyclopedia.  With 
this  he  beguiled  his  leisure  hours,  and  made  that  time  agree¬ 
able,  which  to  many  hangs  irksome  and  heavy.  Among  his 
early  productions  was  a  history  of  the  late  war ;  he  was  then 
quite  young,  it  being  in  the  year  1816-17.  The  manuscript 


TOWNS.— OTIS  CO. 


343 


■was 'offered  to  a  publisher,  who  judging  more  from  the  personal 
appearance  of  the  author  than  from  the  merits  of  the  produc¬ 
tion,  discouraged  him  and  his  father  from  proceeding  with  its 
publication.  This  manuscript,  since  his  reputation  as  a  wri¬ 
ter  has  been  confirmed,  has  been  sought  for  with  great  solici¬ 
tude,  but  has  never  been  re-produced.  The  refusal  to  publish 
this  his  early  production,  fortunately  was  not  a  cause  of  dis¬ 
couragement,  but  he  pressed  vigorously  on,  till  he  reached  a. 
high  elevation  in  the  walks  of  literature  and  science. 

His  writings  collected  in  a  volume,  would  no  doubt  be  re¬ 
ceived  by  the  public  with  approbation  and  delight ;  and  some 
one  who  is  competent  to  do  justice  to  his  merits,  we  trust  may 
yet  come  forward  as  his  historiographer,  and  do  honor  to  his 
memory. 

The  versatility  of  his  talents,  the  rapidity  with  which  he 
wrote,  and  the  variety  of  his  productions,  have  excited  the 
admiration  and  astonishment  of  his  friends.  To  him  the  ag¬ 
ricultural  portion  of  community  more  than  any  other,  are 
greatly  indebted  for  his  scientific  and  literary  labors  in  their 
behalf.  In  every  department  of  his  darling  profession  was  he 
thoroughly  versed,  and  with  Virgil,  in  truth  might  he  say, 
“  Cecini  pascua ,  mra,  duces.”  His  essays  on  practical,  sci¬ 
entific  and  theoretical  agriculture  are  the  most  valuable,  and 
will  be  the  most  enduring  of  his  writings.  The  services  he 
has  rendered  his  country  in  these  departments  are  incalcula¬ 
ble,  and  are  a  rich  legacy,  which  will  endure  to  remote  genera¬ 
tions.  His  connection  with  the  old  Genesee  Farmer  and  Albany 
Cultivator,  from  1833  to  1844,  will  long  be  remembered  with 
lively  interest.  He  labored  to  elevate  the  condition  of  so¬ 
ciety  and  to  benefit  mankind ;  and  the  town  of  Otisco  and 
the  county  of  Onondaga  will  feel  the  power  of  his  influence 
in  the  vista  of  future  years  ;  and  long  will  the  dwellers  in  this 
favored  county  deplore  the  loss  of  an  eminent  man. 

He  died  without  a  groan  or  struggle  after  a  short  illness  of 
thirty-three  hours,  at  Ilowlet  Hill,  town  of  Camillus,  Lime 
Rock  Farm,  on  the  27th  of  March,  1844,  in  the  fifty-first  year 
of  his  age.  He  had  been  for  more  than  thirty  years  an  ex- 


344 


ONONDAGA. 


emplary  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  expired  in 
the  hope  of  a  joyful  resurrection. 

Otisco. — This  town  was  erected  in  1806,  from  parts  of 
Pompey,  Marcellus  and  Tully.  It  is  centrally  situated,  about 
fifteen  miles  south  of  Syracuse.  It  is  about  five  miles  long  and 
little  more  than  four  broad.  Settlements  were  commenced  in 
1801,  five  years  before  its  organization,  while  the  territory 
was  comprised  in  the  townships  of  Tully,  Pompey  and  Mar¬ 
cellus.  The  first  settler  in  the  town,  was  Chauncey  Rust, 
from  Massachusetts.  In  1801,  his  son,  Timothy  Rust,  was 
the  first  white  child  born  in  the  town.  Other  settlers  came 
in  the  same  and  the  following  years ;  among  the  earliest  of 
whom,  were  Charles  J.  Merriman,  from  Connecticut;  Otis 
Baker,  from  Massachusetts ;  Josiah  Clark,  Lemon  Gaylord, 
Benjamin  and  Amos  Cowles,  Daniel  Bennett,  Elias  and  Ja¬ 
red  Thayer,  Henry  Elethrop,  Samuel,  Ebenezer  and  Luther 
French,  Jared  and  Noah  Parsons,  Rufus  Clapp  and  others, 
all  from  New  England.  The  first  settlement  of  the  town  was 
very  rapid.  The  first  tavern  kept  in  toAvn  was  by  Benoni 
Merriman,  in  a  log  house  near  Otisco  Center,  in  1804 ;  Michael 
Johnson  succeeded  him.  Jesse  Swan  was  the  first  merchant 
in  1808,  and  Josiah  Everett,  afterwards. 

First  marketing  was  done  at  Albany,  with  teams,  and  mill¬ 
ing  Avas  done  at  Jamesville  and  Manlius,  until  a  grist  mill 
was  built  in  1806,  by  Esquire  Merriman.  Saw  mills  were 
erected  by  him  and  others,  about  the  same  time,  in  different 
parts  of  the  town.  Elias  Thayer  built  the  first  frame  house, 
1805,  and  Oliver  Tuttle  the  next.  A  Post  Office  was  estab¬ 
lished,  1814,  Dr.  Luther  French,  first  Post  Master. 

The  first  school  was  established  in  a  log  school  house,  1804, 
soon  after  Avas  built  a  frame  school  house.  The  first  practi¬ 
cing  physician,  who  settled  in  town  was  Dr.  Jonathan  S. 
Judd,  in  1806,  and  Dr.  Luther  French,  in  1818.  There  has 
never  been  but  one  lawyer  residing  in  town,  John  Thomas, 
Esq.,  and  he  remained  but  a  short  time,  and  moved  to  Cortland. 

The  “  Washington  Religious  Congregational  Society  of 
Otisco,”  at  Otisco  Center,  was  organized  1804,  by  the  Rev. 


TONWS.— OTISCO. 


345 


Hugh  AVallace.  A  house  of  worship  was  put  up  but  not  com¬ 
pleted,  in  1807.  The  present  meeting  house  was  built  in  1816, 
a  very  neat  and  commodious  house,  with  a  long  string  of 
sheds  on  the  south,  west  and  north,  capable  of  sheltering 
nearly  one  hundred  vehicles.  Rev.  Geo.  Colton  officiated  as 
first  pastor,  in  1806-7.  After  him  was  ordained  in  the  pa¬ 
rish,  Rev.  William  J.  AVilcox,  who  remained  about  thirteen 
years.  Rev.  Charles  Johnson  succeeded  him  a  short  time. 
Rev.  Richard  S.  Corning,  was  pastor  from  1824  to  1833  ;  he 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Levi  Parsons,  Levi  Griswold, 
Sidney  Mills,  Thaddeus  Pomeroy,  Clement  Lewis  and  Addison 
K.  Strong.  This  society,  and  its  ministers,  have  had  a  very 
healthful  influence  on  the  generation  which  has  grown  up  un¬ 
der  its  precepts  and  teachings.  .  Otisco  Center,  is  a  lively  in¬ 
land  village,  of  about  one  hundred  houses,  shops,  stores,  &c., 
and  is  deservedly  noted  for  the  hospitality,  sobriety  and  in¬ 
telligence  of  its  inhabitants.  There  is  no  tavern  in  the  place, 
and  but  two  in  the  town. 

Amber,  a  snug,  pleasant  little  village  in  this  town,  is  sit¬ 
uated  on  the  north-east  bank-  of  Otisco  Lake,  of  about  the 
same  dimensions  and  character  as  Otisco  Center.  It  has  a 
small  woolen  factory,  a  saw  mill,  a  store  and  a  Post  Office. 

The  Amber  religious  society,  was  organized  6th  of  Septem¬ 
ber,  1824,  Miles  Bishop,  Robert  Kenyon,  Barber  Kenyon, 
Isaac  Briggs  and  Samuel  Steward,  Trustees.  The  society 
have  since  erected  a  convenient  and  tasteful  house  of  worship. 
There  are  two  Methodist  societies  in  town,  but  without  settled 
or  local  preachers. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Daniel 
Bennett,  1st  of  April,  1806.  Dan  Bradley,  of  Marcellus, 
Chairman,  and  Dan  Bradley  and  Timothy  Copp,  Esqrs.,  pre¬ 
siding  Justices.  Judah  Hopkins  was  chosen  Supervisor,  and 
Josephus  Baker,  Town  Clerk,  and  Noah  Parsons,  Lemon  Gay¬ 
lord  and  Josephus  Baker,  assessors.  An  extra  town  meeting 
was  held  in  the  month  of  August  following,  at  the  school 
house,  near  Daniel  Bennett’s  tavern,  at  which  a  committee  of 


346 


ONONDAGA. 


three,  were  chosen  to  ascertain  the  center  of  the  town,  in  or¬ 
der  to  centrally  locate  public  buildings. 

The  principal  forests  of  this  section  were  heavy  and  con¬ 
sisted,  on  the  hills,  mostly  of  deciduous  trees.  In  the  val¬ 
leys,  were  hemlock,  and  some  pine.  After  it  was  cleared, 
(which  was  done  at  great  labor  and  expense,)  the  soil  proved 
productive,  and  yielded  abundant  crops  of  wheat,  corn  and 
other  kinds  of  grain.  This  town  is  well  watered  with  abun¬ 
dant  springs  and  small  streams,  and  is  well  adapted  to  dairy 
and  sheep  husbandry.  The  face  of  the  country  is  uneven,  nev¬ 
ertheless,  the  soil  is  fertile,  and  most  of  it  arable.  From  what 
has  been  generally  related  of  this  town,  it  is  very  much  un¬ 
derrated.  Its  present  appearance  would  compare  favorably 
with  any  town  in  the  county.  Its  inhabitants  are  hardy,  in¬ 
dustrious,  frugal  and  independent,  attentive  to  their  own  bu¬ 
siness,  out  of  debt,  and  have  the  means  of  sustaining  them¬ 
selves.  Not  a  pauper  or  lawyer  is  there  in  town,  nor  a  man 
unable  or  unwilling  to  pay  his  school  bills.  Gospel  and  schools 
are  well  supported,  hard  times  are  unknown.  It  is  said  a  hun¬ 
dred  dollars  could  not  be  lent  in  this  town.  None  are  very 
rich,  and  none  are  very  poor.  The  condition  of  this  town, 
is  very  much  of  that  desirable  kind,  so  happily  described  in 
the  old  Chinese  aphorism,  as  follows : 

“  Where  spades  grow  bright,  and  idle  swords  grow  dull, 

Where  jails  are  empty,  and  where  barns  are  full, 

Where  church  paths  are  by  frequent  feet  outworn, 

Law  court-yards  weedy,  silent  and  forlorn, 

Where  doctors  foot  it,  and  where  farmers  ride, 

Where  age  abounds,  and  youth  is  multiplied, 

Where  these  signs  are,  they  truly  indicate, 

A  happy  people,  and  well  governed  State.” 

There  is  a  richness  and  beauty  unsurpassed,  in  the  scenery 
as  one  looks  from  hill  to  hill— the  fields  laden  with  the  golden 
harvest,  and  the  woodlands  giving  shade  and  variety  to  the 
prospect.  The  Otisco  Lake  bounds  the  town  on  the  west.  It 
was  called  by  the  Indians,  Otskah,  sometimes  Kaioongk. 
This  lake  is  about  five  miles  long,  and  one  broad — a  beautiful 
sheet  of  water,  skirted  by  cultivated  fields  to  the  water’s  edge, 
variegated  with  woodland  and  pasture  grounds.  The  red  man 


TO  WNS.— OTISCO. 


347 


anciently  cast  his  lines  and  nets  in  the  pure  clear  waters  of 
the  Otslcah,  and  was  rewarded  for  his  labor,  with  abundance 
of  trout  and  smaller  fish.  Recently  his  successors  have  in¬ 
troduced  the  perch  and  pickerel,  which  are  becoming  abun¬ 
dant.  In  former  times,  the  Onondagas  had  a  path  from  their 
village  to  this  lake,  whither  they  came  to  fish,  and  hunt  the 
deer,  as  he  came  to  quench  his  thirst  at  the  brink. 

There  is  a  small,  weak  salt  spring  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Otisco  Lake,  nearly  opposite  the  village  of  Amber,  on  the 
margin  where  deer  used  to  frequent,  to  obtain  the  cooling  con¬ 
diment. 

There  are  no  quarries  of  good  building  stone  in  this  town, 
the  ledges  of  rocks  are  mostly  red  and  brown  shale.  In  the 
northern  section  of  this  town,  on  the  road  from  Onondaga 
South  Hollow'  to  Otisco,  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  depos¬ 
its  of  what  is  termed  by  Mr.  Yanuxem,  in  the  Geology  of 
the  third  district  of  New- York,  “  Marcellus  goniatite.” 

This  singular  deposit  seems  to  be  about  ten  feet  deep,  and 
exhibits  at  the  points  exposed  to  the  surface,  millions  of  spe¬ 
cimens  of  what  are  termed  “  horn  rocks”  from  one  to  three 
inches  in  diameter,  and  from  two  to  twelve  inches  long,  slightly 
curved.  These  are  isolated  and  can  be  picked  up  in  any 
quantities.  They  are  of  adulterated,  dark  brown  limestone, 
and  are  the  remains  of  molusca  deposited  at  some  unknown 
period,  and  are  worthy  the  attention  of  the  geologist.  The 
same  strata  appears  in  other  parts  of  the  town,  though  not  as 
prominent.  They  lie  underneath  the  red  shale. 

Statistics  for  the  town  of  Otisco,  taken  from  the  census  of 

1845 : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  1701 ;  subject  to  military  duty, 
127  ;  voters,  400  ;  aliens,  11 ;  children  attending  common 
schools,  408  ;  acres  of  improved  land,  12899  ;  grist  mills,  1 ; 
sawmills,  8';  woolen  factory,  1;  Tanneries,  2;  Churches — 
Congregational,  1 ;  Methodist,  1 ;  common  schools,  14 ;  tav¬ 
erns,  2  ;  stores,  4  ;  farmers,  269  ;  merchants,  4  ;  manufactu¬ 
rers,  20  ;  mechanics,  32  ;  clergy  2  ;  physicians,  3. 


348 


ONONDAGA. 


Spafford — was  erected  into  a  town  in  1811,  from  portions 
of  the  townships  of  Sempronius,  Marcellus  and  Tully.  The 
boundaries  have  since  been  materially  altered.  At  present, 
it  is  comprised  of  eight  lots  lying  east  of  Skaneateles  Lake, 
being  part  of  the  original  township  of  Sempronius ;  sixteen 
lots  of  the  north-west  part  of  the  township  of  Tully,  and  thir¬ 
teen  lots  of  the  south  part  of  the  township  of  Marcellus.  It 
is  about  ten  miles  long  by  three  broad,  running  from  north¬ 
west  to  south-east.  This  town  received  its  name  from  Hora¬ 
tio  Gates  Spafford,  L.L.D.,  author  of  the  Gazetteer  of  New- 
York.  The  first  settler  within  the  present  limits  of  the  town, 
was  Gilbert  Palmer,  who  located  himself  on  lot  seventy-six, 
township  of  Marcellus,  in  the  fall  of  1794.  He  was  a  Revo¬ 
lutionary  soldier,  and  served  for  the  lot  on  which  he  settled. 
He  came  from  Duchess  or  Westchester  County,  and  died  about 
ten  years  ago. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1794,  soon  after  his  arrival,  Mr. 
Palmer  and  his  son,  a  youth  of  some  sixteen  years  of  age, 
went  into  the  woods  to  chopping,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
clearing.  Sometime  in  the  afternoon,  they  felled  a  tree,  and 
as  it  struck  the  ground,  it  bounded,  swung  around  and  caught 
the  young  man  under  it.  The  father  at  once  mounted  the 
log,  cut  it  off,  rolled  it  over  and  liberated  his  son.  Upon  ex¬ 
amination,  one  of  his  lower  limbs  was  found  to  be  badly 
crushed  and  mangled.  He  thereupon  carried  the  youth  to 
his  log  hut  close  at  hand,  and  with  all  possible  diligence  made 
haste  to  his  nearest  neighbors,  some  three  or  four  miles  dis¬ 
tant,  desiring  them  to  go  and  minister  to  his  son’s  necessities, 
while  he  should  go  to  Whitestown  for  Dr.  White.  The  neigh¬ 
bors  sallied  forth  with  such  comfortable  things  as  they  thought 
might  be  acceptable  in  such  a  case  ;  but  amidst  the  confusion, 
the  dense  forest  and  the  darkness  of  the  night  which  had  just 
set  in,  they  missed  their  way ;  and  after  wandering  about  for 
a  long  time,  gave  over  pursuit  and  returned  home,  leaving  the 
poor  sufferer  alone  to  his  fate.  Early  the  next  morning  all 
hands  again  rallied,  and  in  due  time  found  the  young  man 
suffering  the  most  extreme  anguish  from  his  mangled  limb,  and 


TOWNS.— SPAFFORD. 


349 


greatly  benumbed  with  cold.  They  built  a  fire,  made  him 
comfortable  with  such  palliatives  as  could  be  procured  in  the 
wilderness,  and  waited  in  patience  the  return  of  the  parent. 
In  the  mean  time  he  had  proceeded  rapidly  on  his  journey  on 
foot,  and  found  Dr.  White  at  Clinton.  Here  he  engaged  an 
Oneida  Indian  to  pilot  them  through  the  woods  by  a  nearer 
route  than  to  follow  the  windings  of  the  old  road.  Dr.  White 
and  Mr.  Palmer  were  at  sundry  times  fearful  the  Indian  would 
lose  the  way  ;  and  upon  every  expression  of  doubt  on  their 
part,  the  Indian  would  exclaim  11  me  know”  and  told  them 
he  would  bring  them  out  at  a  certain  log  which  lay  across 
the  outlet  at  the  foot  of  Otisco  Lake.  The  Indian  took  the 
lead,  and  within  forty-eight  hours  after  the  accident  had  hap¬ 
pened,  the  Indian  brought  them  exactly  to  the  log,  exclaim¬ 
ing  triumphantly,  “me  know.”  Here  Mr.  Palmer  arrived 
on  familiar  ground,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  the  cabin  where 
he  had  left  his  son,  whom  they  found  greatly  prostrated,  and 
writhing  under  the  most  intense  suffering.  No  time  was  lost. 
The  case  was  thought  desperate — the  limb  was  amputated  at 
once,  half  way  from  the  knee  to  the  thigh.  The  youth  bore 
the  pain  with  heroic  fortitude,  recovered  and  lived  many  years 
afterwards,  always  speaking  in  the  highest  terms,  in  praise  of 
Dr.  White. 

The  first  settler  in  that  part  of  the  town  taken  from  Tully 
was  Jonathan  Berry,  and  is  still  living  a  resident  of  the  town. 
He  first  settled  a  short  distance  south  of  the  village  of  Boro¬ 
dino,  in  March,  1803.  In  April  the  same  year,  Archibald 
Farr  located  himself  on  the  south-west  corner  of  lot  number 
eleven. 

To  facilitate  the  progress  of  Mr.  Farr’s  imigration,  Berry 
sent  his  teams  and  men  to  clear  out  a  road,  that  Farr  might 
proceed  to  his  place  of  destination.  This  was  the  first  road 
attempted  to  be  made  within  the  limits  of  the  town,  and  is 
the  same  that  now  leads  from  Sp afford  Corners  to  Borodino. 
The  next  year  (1804)  Isaac  Hall  settled  on  the  farm  now 
(1848)  owned  by  Asael  lioundey,  Esq.,  near  Spafford  Cor¬ 
ners.  This  year  the  road  was  cleared  out  from  Farr’s  on  lot 


350 


ONONDAGA. 


number  eleven  to  the  Corners,  and  the  next  year  (1805)  two 
men  from  Scott  cut  and  cleared  a  road  from  the  town  of  Scott 
to  Spafford  Corners.  Their  names  were  Elisha  Sabins  and 
John  Babcock.  They  moved  their  goods  on  sleds,  over  logs 
and  through  the  brush  as  best  they  could.  The  following 
year,  1806,  several  families  took  up  their  abode  in  this  town 
and  scattered  themselves  over  its  whole  extent.  On  the  road 
from  Borodino  to  the  town  of  Scott,  lived  Peter  Knapp,  Isaac 
Hall,  John  Babcock,  Samuel  Smith,  Elisha  Sabins,  Otis  Legg, 
Moses  Legg,  Archibald  Farr,  Jethro  Bailey,  Elias  Davis,  Abel 
Amadown,  Job  Lewis,  Daniel  Tinckham,  — : —  Whiting,  and 
John  Hullibut.  In  other  parts  of  the  town  were  Levi  Foster, 
Benjamin  Homer,  James  Williamson,  Cornelius  Williamson, 
Benjamin  Stanton  and  John  Woodward.  James  Bacon  and 
Asael  Roundey  settled  at  Spafford  Corners  in  1807,  by  which 
time  the  town  became  generally  settled.  In  September  of 
1806,  Isaac  Hall  Ji’ove  a  wagon  from  Spafford  Corners  to 
Scott  Corners  for  a  load  of  boards,  being  the  first  wagon 
that  had  passed  over  that  road.  Elias  Davis  first  made  his 
way  to  his  new  home  in  this  town  from  Skaneateles  in  a  skiff, 
by  rowing  up  the  lake.  He  located  a  little  south  of  the  cen¬ 
ter. 

The  first  frame  dwelling  was  erected  in  1807  by  Samuel 
Conkling,  on  lot  seventy-six,  Marcellus. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Elisha  Sa¬ 
bins,  1812,  at  which  John  Babcock  was  chosen  Supervisor, 
and  Sylvester  Wheaton,  Town  Clerk  ;  Benjamin  Stanton, 
Asael  Roundy,  Elijah  Knapp,  Assessors ;  Asael  Roundy, 
Adolphus  French,  Jonathan  Berry,  Commissioners  of  high 
ways.  Annual  meeting  April,  1813,  at  the  same  place  ;  Asael 
Roundy,  chosen  Supervisor,  and  Asa  Terry  Town  Clerk. 

A  Post  Office  was  first  established  at  Spafford  Corners  in 
1814;  Asahel  Roundy,  first  Post  Master.  James  Knapp, 
Joseph  R.  Berry,  Thomas  B.  Anderson  and  Doctor  Collins, 
have  been  successors  to  the  office,  in  the  foregoing  order.  The 
mail  was  first  carried  in  a  wagon  through  the  town  in  1827. 


TOWNS S  P  A  F  F  O  R  D . 


351 


Contract  held  by  James  H.  Fargo,  the  route,  from  Jordan  to 
Homer.  Previously  carried  on  foot  and  on  horseback. 

Jared  Babcock  was  the  first  merchant  in  1809,  and  Lanson 
Hotchkiss  the  second,  1810.  Dr.  Archibald  Farr  was  the 
first  practising  physician  in  town,  and  also  kept  the  first  tav¬ 
ern,  on  lot  number  11,  Fully,  in  1808.  Other  physicians  have 
been  Jeremiah  B.  Whiting,  Zechariah  Derby,  John  Collins, 
and  some  others.  Never  a  lawyer  located  in  this  town. 

The  first  school  house  was  built  of  logs  on  the  north-west 
corner  of  lot  number  seventy-six,  Marcellas,  in  1803  ;  the 
first  teacher  Miss  Sally  Packard.  The  first  school  at  Spaf- 
ford  Corners  was  kept  in  a  log  house  in  1808,  by  Miss  Han¬ 
nah  Weston,  (Mrs.  Roundy.)  1  here  were  no  wagon  roads  at 
that  time  from  Skaneateles,  and  she  came  out  from  that  place 
and  returned,  after  the  close  of  her  school,  on  horseback. 

The  first  stated  preacher  was  Elder  Harman,  who  organi¬ 
zed  a  Methodist  Church  and  Society  at  an  early  day.  The 
Baptist  Society  and  Church  was  organized  in  the  Tully  por¬ 
tion  of  the  town  in  1816 ;  this  organization  was  broken  up  in 
1832.  A  Society  and  Church  was  organized  in  the  Marcel- 
lus  portion  of  the  town  in  1800.  Methodist  and  Universalist 
Union  Society  house  of  worship,  was  erected  in  1838,  and 
Freewill  Baptist  the  same  year  :  both  were  dedicated  in  1840. 
Elder  Kimberly,  first  preacher,  Elders  Benjamin  Andrews, 
Boughton,  Jacob  W.  Darling,  &c.,have  been  ministers.  John 
Babcock  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  this  town,  and 
Asahel  Roundey,  the  second. 

The  first  grist  mill  in  town  was  erected  by  Dr.  Archibald 
Farr,  in  1808,  and  a  saw  mill  by  Josiah  Walker,  in  1810. 
Judge  Walter  Wood  built  a  saw  mill  in  1811.  The  principal 
stream  is  called  Cold  Brook,  the  largest  tributary  of  the 
Otisco  Lake. 

There  is  an  excellent  quarry  of  gray  limestone  in  this  town, 
suitable  for  building.  It  is  the  highest  elevation  in  the  coun¬ 
ty  where  that  most  excellent  building  material  is  found.  This 
town  in  the  main,  may  be  termed  hilly.  The  central  portion 
has  an  extensive  valley  of  fine  fertile  land,  but  the  eastern  and 


352 


ONONDAGA. 


western  portions  are  uneven.  The  soil  is  principally  a  strong 
and  productive  loam.  The  timber  consists  of  heavy  maple, 
beech,  basswood,  butternut,  hemlock,  and  some  pine.  It  is 
well  watered  by  springs  and  small  brooks,  and  is  well  adapted 
to  grazing. 

In  the  north-east  part  of  the  town  is  a  weak  salt  fountain, 
on  the  shore  of  the  Otisco  Lake,  where  salt  has  been  made. 
There  are  extensive  beds  of  what  are  termed  horn  rocks, 
along  the  shore  of  the  Skaneateles  Lake.  There  are  also 
several  sulphur  springs  in  town,  none  of  which  afford  any  very 
great  quantity  of  water,  although  highly  impregnated  with 
foreign  substances.  From  the  highest  hills,  the  Skaneateles 
Lake  may  be  seen  stretching  itself  far  away  in  the  distance, 
on  the  west,  to  the  north,  and  the  Otisco  on  the  east,  both  of 
which  are  beautiful  bodies  of  water,  five  miles  apart,  and  bound 
the  town  on  the  west  and  east.  Borodino  is  the  principal  vil¬ 
lage,  containing  a  Post  Office,  two  churches,  several  stores  and 
about  eight  hundred  inhabitants. 

Statistics  from  the  census  of  1845,  respecting  the  town  of 
Spafford  : — 

Number  of  inhabitants,  1,977  ;  subject  to  military  duty, 
220 ;  voters,  484 ;  aliens,  8 ;  children  attending  Common 
Schools,  498 ;  acres  of  improved  land,  14,560 ;  grist  mills, 
1 ;  saw  mills,  7  ;  carding  machines,  1 ;  tanneries,  1  ;  Church¬ 
es — Baptist,  1;  Presbyterian,  1;  Methodist,  2;  common 
schools,  10  ;  taverns,  4  ;  stores,  5  ;  farmers,  278  ;  merchants, 
7;  manufacturers,  6;  mechanics,  46;  clergymen,  8;  physi¬ 
cians,  3. 


VIEW  OF  OSWEGO  AS  IT  APPEARED  IN  1755 


OSWEGO. 


358 


b  23 


354 


ONONDAGA. 


CHAPTER  X  Y  I . 


OSWEGO. 


Erection  of  a  Trading  House  and  Fort,  by  Governor  Burnet — Gen.  Shir¬ 
ley — Col.  Mercer — Operations  of  Col.  Bradstreet — Oswego  Falls — Bone 
Hill — Oswego  taken  by  Montcalm — Incidents — Attacked  by  the  British- 
Early  Settlement. 

At  first  it  was  not  the  design  of  this  work  to  introduce  the 
history  of  this  important  place  in  a  distinct  and  extended 
manner.  But  at  the  suggestion  of  several  gentlemen,  who 
are  well  qualified  to  judge  in  these  matters,  the  author  was 
induced  to  visit  Oswego,  and  other  locations  along  the  Oswego 
valley,  and  collect  materials  for  a  more  full  and  minute  notice 
of  it  than  was  originally  intended.*  This  important  and  in¬ 
teresting  locality  is  situated  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake 
Ontario,  on  both  sides  of  the  Oswego  River,  in  latitude  43° 
28'  03 ' 1  north.  It  was  called  by  the  French,  Chouaguen. 

The  French  had  established  themselves  in  the  Iroquois  coun¬ 
try  at  an  early  period,  by  the  erection  of  fortifications  at  Ni¬ 
agara  and  Ierondequot,  while  the  English  had  no  semblance 
of  a  fortification  west  of  Schenectady.  It  soon  became  ap¬ 
parent  that  something  should  be  done  to  retain  possession  of 


*  The  author  is  under  great  obligation  to  E.  W.  Clarke,  Esq.,  for  the  loan  of  his 
valuable  manuscript  giving  much  interesting  information  relative  to  Oswego 
Also  to  B.  B.  Burt,  Esq.,  for  books  and  papers  upon  the  same  subject,  and  also  to 
Mr.  Matthew  McNair,  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Oswego,  for  valuable  verbal 
information. 


OSWEGO. 


355 


the  country  claimed  by  the  English,  and  make  a  show  of  re¬ 
sistance  to  overawe  the  French,  and  inspire  the  Five  Nations 
with  confidence,  and  to  show  them  that  the  English  were  ca¬ 
pable  and  willing  to  maintain  their  rights.  Col.  Homer  had 
explored  the  country  of  the  Five  Nations  in  1700  and  1701, 
and  reported  that  at  the  mouth  of  the  Onondagas’  River,  was 
the  most  suitable  place  for  the  erection  of  a  fort. 

Gov.  Burnet,  in  his  anxiety  to  secure  the  trade  of  the  In¬ 
dians  in  1721,  got  an  act  passed  by  the  Colonial  Legislature, 
prohibiting  the  sale  of  goods  to  the  French,  under  severe  pen¬ 
alties,  with  the  design  of  drawing  all  the  Indian  trade  to  New- 
York.  In  order  fully  to  carry  out  his  designs,  to  keep  the 
French  within  their  proper  limits,  and  to  inspire  the  Five  Na¬ 
tions  with  a  becoming  respect  for  the  power  of  the  English, 
he  commenced  the  erection  of  a  trading  house  at  Oswego  in 
1722,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  benefits  of  this 
policy  were  immediately  apparent.  In  1723,  fifty-seven  ca¬ 
noes  went  from  Albany  to  that  place,  and  returned  loaded 
with  furs  and  skins,  among  which  were  seven  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  packs  of  beaver  and  deer  skins.  The  jealousy 
and  indignation  of  the  French  was  aroused  by  the  doings  of 
Gov.  Burnet.  They  at  once  set  about  repairing  the  fort  at 
Niagara,  and  gathered  materials  for  the  erection  of  a  trading 
house  at  that  place,  thus  securing  the  western  entrance  to  the 
lake,  as  they  had  the  eastern,  by  the  erection  of  Fort  Fron- 
tenac.  In  1725,  Baron  Longueil,  the  Governor  of  Canada, 
went  in  person  to  Onondaga,  to  obtain  permission  to  erect 
the  store  house  at  Niagara.  He  obtained  their  consent,  but 
the  other  nations  disavowed  the  act,  and  sent  messengers  to 
Niagara  requiring  the  French  immediately  to  desist.  Gov. 
Burnet  remonstrated  against  these  encroachments  of  the 
French.  lie  also  called  a  council  of  the  Five  Nations  con¬ 
juring  them  to  give  an  explicit  declaration  of  their  sentiments 
relative  to  the  French  encroachments  at  Niagara.  Their 
answer  is  truly  expressive, — “  We  come  to  you,  howling,  and 
this  is  the  reason  why  we  howl ;  because  the  Governor  of 
Canada  encroaches  on  our  lands,  and  builds  thereon.”  Gov- 


356 


ONONDAGA. 


ernor  Burnet  improved  this  season  of  disaffection  towards  the 
French,  to  secure  a  grant  confirming  a  grant  made  in  1701, 
which  had  ceded  to  the  English,  the  lands  of  the  Five  Nations, 
south  of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario.  The  grant  conveyed  all 
their  lands  in  trust  from  the  Osrvego  to  Cayahoga  River.  Not¬ 
withstanding  the  remonstrances  of  Governor  Burnet,  the 
French  completed  their  works  at  Niagara  with  as  little  delay 
as  possible.  Governor  Burnet  still  complained  of  the  want 
of  faith  in  the  French,  in  building  Fort  Niagara,  and  to  keep 
pace  with  them,  obtained  an  appropriation  from  the  Colonial 
Assembly,  in  1726,  of  three  hundred  pounds,  for  the  purpose 
of  building  a  fort  at  Oswego,  and  on  the  9th  of  May,  1727, 
makes  the  following  report :  “I  have  this  spring  sent  up 
workmen  to  build  a  stone  house  of  strength  at  a  place  called 
Oswego,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Onondagas’  River.  I  have  ob¬ 
tained  the  consent  of  the  Five  Nations  to  build  it,  and  being 
informed  that  a  party  of  ninety  French  were  going  to  Niag¬ 
ara,  I  suspected  they  might  have  orders  to  interrupt  this  work. 
I  have  therefore  sent  up  a  detachment  of  sixty  soldiers,  with 
a  captain  and  two  lieutenants,  to  protect  the  building  from 
any  harm  the  French  might  offer.”  The  Governor  proposes 
to  keep  an  officer  and  twenty  men  in  garrison  to  protect  the 
works  against  the  French.  Three  hundred  pounds  had  been 
provided  to  build  the  fort,  but  it  was  not  near  enough,  and  the 
Governor  who  had  become  warmly  enlisted  in  the  matter,  fur¬ 
nished  the  residue  on  his  own  responsibility. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  1727,  Governor  Burnet  reported 
the  fort  at  Oswego  as  finished,  and  says,  “  this  new  house  at 
Oswego  will  make  a  stand  that  will  embolden  the  Five  Na- 
tions,  and  one  that  cannot  be  taken  without  heavy  cannon, 
the  walls  being  four  feet  thick,  of  good  stone,  and  the  French 
cannot  bring  heavy  cannon  against  it.” 

The  trading  house  and  fort  built  at  Oswego,  by  Governor 
Burnet,  was  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  directly  on 
the  bank  of  the  lake.  The  ground  was  elevated  about  forty 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  lake ;  the  bank  being  of  rock  and 
hard-pan,  almost  perpendicular.  The  building  was  of  stone, 


OSWEGO. 


;;57 


about  eighty  feet  square,  except  that  the  eastern  side  was  cir¬ 
cular.  It  was  provided  with  port  holes  and  a  deep  well.  The 
ascent  to  it  from  the  south,  was  by  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  the 
remains  of  which  have  been  visible  till  within  a  few  years. 
The  earthen  embankment  of  the  fort,  with  its  palisades,  was 
about  two  hundred  feet  west  of  the  trading  house,  and  slight 
traces  of  it  were  to  be  seen  till  within  a  recent  period.  This 
bluff,  with  its  grassy  surface,  formed  a  favorite  promenade  for 
the  citizens  of  Oswego,  until  the  hand  of  innovation  and  im¬ 
provement,  within  the  last  ten  years,  has  leveled  it  for  useful 
purposes.  Whfen  the  foundation  of  the  flag  staff  at  the  old 
fort  was  removed,  there  was  found  at  the  bottom  of  it  a  flat 
piece  of  red  sand  stone,  upon  which  was  engraved  this  inscrip¬ 
tion — “  Gliuna,  1727.”  It  lay  exposed  for  a  few  days,  and 
was  finally  stolen  by  the  captain  of  a.  lake  schooner. 

The  French  Governor  was  highly7-  exasperated  at  what  he  con¬ 
ceived  to  be  an  encroachment  of  the  English,  ordered  the  works 
to  be  abandoned  within  fifteen  days,  and  demolished.  To  this 
the  English  Governor  gave  no  heed,  whereupon  the  Governor 
of  Canada  sought  to  have  the  dispute  settled  by  the  two 
crowns,  and  in  the  mean  time  to  have  the  place  abandoned, 
but  to  this  proposition  Governor  Burnet  would  not  consent. 

The  French  Governor,  the  Marquis  Beauharnois,  upon  this, 
sent  a  summons  for  the  garrison  to  relinquish  the  fort  within 
a  fortnight,  with  all  arms,  munitions  and  effects,  and  retire 
within  their  own  dominions,  or  his  vengeance  would  follow. 

In  1728,  Governor  Burnet  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  John 
Montgomery,  a  Scotch  gentleman,  who  early  held  a  treaty 
with  the  Six  Nations,  for  a  renewal  of  the  ancient  covenant 
chain.  He  gave  them  rich  presents,  and  engaged  them  in  the 
defense  of  Oswego.  The  French  had  made  their  threats  that 
the  fort  at  Oswego  should  be  destroyed  the  ensuing  spring. 
This  design  becoming  known,  the  garrison  was  re-enforced  by 
a  detachment  from  the  independent  companies  of  the  province, 
and  the  Indians  also  prepared  to  render  their  assistance  in  the 
protection  of  the  fort.  The  French,  no  way  desirous  of  com¬ 
mencing  hostilities  or  continuing  them  in  time  of  peace,  finally 


358 


ONONDAGA. 


abandoned  their  intended  invasion,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
gave  the  garrison  no  further  trouble.  From  this  time  until 
the  year  1754,  the  fort  at  Oswego  was  usually  garrisoned  by 
a  lieutenant  and  twenty-five  men,  besides  traders,  who  usually 
spent  the  summer  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fort,  collecting  furs,  and 
who  returned  to  Albany  in  autumn,  to  make  sale  of  them. 

During  all  this  time  Oswego  was  considered  the  most  im¬ 
portant  military  post  in  the  colony  of  New-York,  and  the  only 
one  on  the  western  frontier.  Its  support  was  an  object  of 
great  moment  to  the  government,  and  annual  appropriations 
were  made  by  the  Colonial  Assembly  for  that  purpose.  In 
1732,  Governor  Cosby  represented  that  the  fort  at  Oswego 
was  in  a  ruinous  condition,  and  requested  that  means  might 
be  granted  to  put  it  in  order.  The  House  of  Assembly  insti¬ 
tuted  inquiries,  and  learned  that  the  fort  had  been  formerly 
victualed  by  Harmanus  Wendle,  and  that  Capt.  Jacob  Glen, 
in  behalf  of  Capts.  John  Schuyler,  John  Depuyster  and  John 
Junian  Cast,  had  undertaken  to  victual  his  majesty’s  troops  at 
Oswego  for  three  years,  at  the  rate  of  four  hundred  and  fifty- 
six  pounds  per  annum. 

In  April,  1733,  a  petition  was  presented  from  forty-eight 
traders  at  Oswego,  complaining  of  the  commandant  of  the 
garrison  for  laying  improper  restrictions  upon  their  trade. 
The  House  went  into  an  investigation  of  the  matter,  and  re¬ 
quested  the  Governor  to  appoint  David  A.  Schuyler,  or  some 
other  person  who  understood  the  Indian  trade  and  language, 
to  reside  at  Oswego  as  a  commissary. 

Nothing  of  importance  seems  to  have  occurred  during  the 
remainder  of  Governor  Cosby’s  administration,  which  termi¬ 
nated  with  his  life,  in  March,  1736.  His  successor,  Lieuten¬ 
ant  Governor  Clarke,  was  no  less  impressed  with  the  import¬ 
ance  of  sustaining  this  military  post,  than  his  predecessor  had 
been. 

So  late  as  June  19th,  1743,  the  trading  house  at  OsAvego 
was  not  fully  completed,  and  Governor  Clarke  complains  in 
a  letter  to  the  board  of  trade,  of  the  dilatory  character  of  the 
director  of  the  work. 


OSWEGO. 


359 


It  seems  duties  were  charged  on  goods  passing  at  Oswego, 
at  this  time,  for  in  a  letter  it  is  stated  that  “  the  Assembly  re¬ 
fuses  to  pay  the  bateau  men  out  of  any  other  fund  but  the 
Oswego  duties.”* 

The  French  Governor  of  Quebec,  Beauharnois,  complains 
bitterly  in  a  letter  to  Governor  Clarke,  of  Capt.  Congreve,  at 
Oswego,  on  account  of  the  detention  of  French  boats,  and 
the  Governor  complains  to  Captain  Congreve  in  the  following 
terms :  “  I  am  truly  sorry  to  hear  so  many  complaints  of 

your  conduct  at  Oswego.  I  hope  for  better  things,  but  am 
now  in  fear  that  if  some  better  care  be  not  taken,  that  the  gar¬ 
rison  will  all  desert  or  perish  for  want  of  provisions,  of  which 
I  am  told  there  is  no  manner  of  economy.  It  behooves  you 
sir,  to  be  very  circumspect,  and  I  earnestly  recommend  that 
you  keep  good  discipline,  and  to  take  care  of  the  provisions  and 
for  the  security  of  the  house  and  garrison.”! 

In  1744,  new  difficulties  broke  out  between  France  and  Eng¬ 
land,  upon  which,  the  Colonial  government  turned  their  atten¬ 
tion  to  this  fortress.  Cannon,  ammunition  and  troops  were 
forwarded ;  an  interpreter  wTas  sent  among  the  Indians,  sev¬ 
eral  of  whom  were  engaged  as  scouts,  to  watch  the  movements 
of  the  French.  The  traders  at  Oswego  entirely  abandoned 
the  place,  upon  the  first  intimation  of  the  war. 

By  the  treaty  of  Aix  La  Chapelle  in  1748,  peace  was 
again  restored  between  the  two  nations,  and  continued  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  “  Old  French  War,"  in  1753.  It  was 
during  this  contest  of  six  years  which  terminated  with  the 
conquest  of  Canada  and  the  capture  of  Quebec,  in  1759,  that 
the  most  important  and  interesting  events  in  the  history  of 
Oswego  as  a  military  post,  transpired. 

In  1755  Gen.  Shirley  conducted  an  expedition  designed  for 
the  capture  of  Forts  Frontenac  and  Niagara.  He  reached 
Oswego  late  in  August  with  fifteen  hundred  men,  of  whom 
one  hundred  and  twenty  were  Indians  and  militia,  and  the 


*  London  Documents,  vol.  27,  p.  81. 
t  Lon.  Docs.,  Vol.  25.,  p.  262. 


360 


ONONDAGA. 


residue  Provincial  regulars.  General  Shirley  lost  much  valu¬ 
able  time  in  ascertaining  the  strength  of  these  posts,  and  at 
length  determined  first  to  attack  Fort  Niagara.  His  spies 
reported  that  the  French  were  in  great  force  at  Fort  Fronte- 
nac ;  and  from  this  circumstance  concluded,  that  it  was  their 
design  to  make  an  attack  upon  Oswego  during  his  absence  to 
Niagara.  In  this  posture  of  affairs,  a  council  of  war  was 
called,  which  after  weighing  all  the  circumstances,  unani¬ 
mously  resolved  to  defer  the  attempt  upon  Niagara  until  next 
year,  and  to  employ  the  troops  while  they  remained  at  Os¬ 
wego,  in  building  barracks  and  erecting  two  new  forts,  one  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river,  four  hundred  and  fifty  yards  distant 
from  the  old  fort  which  it  was  to  command,  as  well  as  the 
entrance  of  the  harbor,  and  to  be  called  Ontario  Fort,  and 
the  other,,  to  be  called  Oswego  New  Fort.* 

These  things  being  agreed  upon,  General  Shirley  with  the 
greatest  part  of  the  troops  under  his  command,  set  out  on  his 
return  to  Albany  on  the  24th  of  October,  leaving  Col.  Mer¬ 
cer  with  a  gandson  of  about  seven  hundred  men  at  Oswego. 
Though  repeated  advice  had  been  received  that  the  French 
had  then  at  least  a  thousand  men  at  Fort  Frontenac  ;  and 
what  was  still  worse,  the  new  forts  were  not  near  completed, 
but  left  to  be  finished  by  the  hard  labor  of  Col.  Mercer  and  his 
little  garrison,  with  the  addition  of  the  melancholy  circum¬ 
stance,  that  if  besieged  by  the  enemy  in  the  winter,  it  would 
be  impossible  for  his  friends  to  afford  relief. 

Early  in  1753,  we  find  the  garrison  at  Oswego  in  command 
of  Lieut.  Kitchen  Holland,  who  is  presumed  to  have  continued 
in  command  till  succeeded  by  Col.  Mercer,  and  the  augmenta¬ 
tion  of  the  garrison  by  Col.  Bradstreet  and  Gen.  Shirley,  in 
the  autumn  of  1755. 

Fort  Ontario  was  built  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  about 
one  hundred  yards  from  the  lake,  commanding  the  ground 
around  it.  Its  circumference  was  about  eight  hundred  feet, 
being  built  of  logs  from  twenty  to  thirty  inches  in  diameter, 


*  Smollett.  Vol.  II.  p.  178. 


OSWEGO. 


3G1 


and  the  outside  wall  about  fourteen  feet  high.  Around  it  was 
a  ditch  fourteen  feet  broad  and  ten  feet  deep.  Within  it  was  a 
square  log  house  to  overlook  the  walls,  and  contained  bar¬ 
racks  for  three  hundred  men,  and  was  calculated  to  mount 
sixteen  pieces  of  cannon. 

The  Oswego  New  Fort  was  a  square  of  one  hundred  and 
seventy  feet,  with  bastions  and  a  rampart  of  earth  and  ma¬ 
sonry,  which  besides  the  parapet,  was  to  be  twenty  feet  thick, 
twelve  feet  in  height,  with  a  ditch  fourteen  feet  broad  and  ten 
feet  deep.  This  was  to  mount  eight  pieces  of  cannon,  being 
made  more  defensible,  as  it  commanded  a  good  landing  place. 
The  barracks  were  to  contain  two  hundred  men.  It  will  be 
readily  seen,  that  this  is  the  work  usually  denominated  the 
Old  French  Fort,  on  the  hill  across  which  Van  Buren  street 
has  since  been  laid  near  its  junction  with  sixth  street,  traces 
of  which  were  to  be  seen  until  recently. 

Although  there  is  no  historical  mention  made  of  any  other 
fort  than  Ontario  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  yet  it  is  almost 
certain  that  some  kind  of  fort  or  redoubt  had  been  erected  on 
that  promontory  several  years  previous.  One  evidence  of 
this  is  in  the  following  fact.  In  the  year  1818,  the  present 
court  house  in  East  Oswego  was  erected.  The  stone  for  that 
building  were  obtained  from  Fort  Ontario,  principally  from  the 
walls  of  the  bomb  proof,  which  stood  in  the  north-west  angle. 
One  of  these  stone  had  a  builder’s  name  (Craunell)  upon  it, 
and  the  date  1745.  This  stone  was  placed  under  the  sill  at 
the  north-west  corner  facing  the  north,  where  it  may  now  be 
seen.  It  can  hardly  be  possible  that  the  date,  marks  any 
other  event  than  the  erection  of  some  work  near  the  site  of 
Fort  Ontario.  Besides,  on  an  old  map  now  to  be  seen  in  pos¬ 
session  of  E.  W.  Clarke,  Esq.,  two  forts  are  laid  down  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  yards  dis¬ 
tant  from  each  other. 

The  naval  force  of  the  French  was  considered  respectable 
for  the  times,  and  the  English,  consisted  of  the  Oswego,  Com¬ 
modore  Bradley,  with  only  four  four-pounders  and  one  three- 
pounder,  with  forty-five  seamen  and  soldiers.  The  Ontario, 


362 


ONONDAGA. 


Capt.  Laforoy,  with  four  four-pounders,  one  three  pounder, 
and  forty-five  seamen  and  soldiers  ;  a  small  schooner,  Capt. 
Farmer,  with  six  swivels  and  thirteen  men  ;  and  a  new  brig¬ 
antine  and  schooner  nearly  completed. 

The  garrison  were  almost  continually  annoyed  by  scalping 
parties  of  French  and  Indians,  and  frequently  complained  of 
the  want  of  men  to  protect  the  works. 

The  year  1756  is  truly  memorable  in  the  history  of  Oswego. 
A  convoy  of  provisions  and  stores  for  the  garrison  had  been  dis¬ 
patched  early  in  summer  from  Albany,  under  command  of  Col. 
Bradstreet.  The  French  being  apprised  of  it,  detached  a  par¬ 
ty  of  soldiers  and  Indians  to  intercept  it  as  it  should  pass  down 
the  OswTego  river,  with  directions  to  lay  an  ambuscade  at  some 
convenient  point.  The  party  consisted  of  about  300  boatmen, 
wholly  unused  to  war,  and  their  vessels  consisted  of  a  large 
number  of  bateaux  suitable  for  the  navigation  of  the  streams 
through  which  they  were  to  pass.  The  French  designated  for 
this  attack  got  lost  and  did  not  reach  the  river  in  time  to  in¬ 
tercept  Col  Bradstreet,  and  thereupon  resolved  to  retire  a  short 
distance  into  the  woods  and  await  bis  return.  On  the  3d  of 
July,  Col.  Bradstreet  left  Oswego  on  his  way  back.  He  divi¬ 
ded  his  boats  into  three  divisions  with  directions  to  keep  a  lit¬ 
tle  distance  apart,  so  as  to  be  better  able  to  support  each  other 
in  case  of  an  attack.  As  he  was  slowly  stemming  the  current, 
himself  in  the  foremost  division,  at  a  point  some  seven  miles 
above  Oswego,  at  a  place  known  as  the  Mann  farm,  he  was 
suddenly  saluted  by  the  war  whoop  of  the  savages  and  a  heavy 
discharge  of  musketry  from  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Rec¬ 
ollecting  that  there  was  a  small  island  just  above  him  wTtere 
the  enemy  might  ford  the  river  and  attack  his  rear,  he  instant¬ 
ly  rownd  to  it,  and  effected  a  landing  with  only  six  men,  com¬ 
manding  the  residue  to  land  on  the  east  side.  He  had  scarcely 
reached  it  when  he  was  attacked  by  a  party  of  the  enemy 
who  had  forded  the  river  for  that  purpose  ;  but  these  were  soon 
repulsed.*  Another  body  having  passed  a  mile  higher,  he  ad- 


*  Smollett,  vol  2,  p.  221. 


OSWEGO. 


363 


vanced  to  them,  at  the  head  of  two  hundred  men,  and  fell  up¬ 
on  them  with  such  vigos,  that  many  were  killed  on  the  spot 
and  the  rest  driven  into  the  river  with  such  precipitation  that 
a  considerable  number  of  them  were  drowned.  Having  re¬ 
ceived  information  that  a  third  body  of  the  enemy  had  passed 
at  a  ford  still  higher,  he  marched  thither  without  hesitation 
and  pursued  them  to  the  other  side,  where  they  were  entirely 
routed  and  dispersed.  In  this  action,  which  lasted  near  three 
hours,  about  seventy  of  the  bateau  men  wrere  killed  or  wound¬ 
ed  ;  but  the  enemy  lost  more  than  double  that  number,  many 
of  whom  were  killed  in  the  river  whose  bodies  Abated  down¬ 
ward.  In  all  probability  the  whole  detachment  of  the  French 
amounting  to  seven  hundred  men  would  have  been  cut  off,  had 
not  a  heavy  rain  interposed  and  disabled  Col.  Bradstreet  from 
following  up  his  success,  for  that  same  night  he  was  joined  by 
Captain  Patten  with  a  company  of  grenadiers,  on  his  march 
from  Oneida  to  Oswego,  and  next  morning  he  was  re-enforced 
by  the  arrival  of  two  hundred  men,  detached  to  his  assistance 
from  the  garrison  at  Oswego.  On  the  29th  of  May  the  French 
landed  on  the  south-eastern  side  of  Lake  Ontario,  about  fifty 
miles  from  Oswego,  were  joined  by  about  three  hundred  Indi¬ 
ans  and  set  out  the  day  following  with  the  intention  of  cutting 
ofl’  the  convoy  of  provisions  on  the  way  from  Albany  to  Os¬ 
wego.  But  the  Indians  refusing  to  join  in  an  expedition  to 
intercept  them  at  Oswego  falls,  Capt.  Vieliere  consented  to  go 
to  Fort  Ontario,  where  they  surprised  a  sergeant’s  guard  and 
took  a  corporal  prisoner.  After  firing  at  the  fort  and  town, 
they  retired  to  the  River  La  JPlanche,  and  next  day  to  their 
camp  fifteen  leagues  from  Oswego,  when  all  the  Indians  except 
fifteen  left  them.  After  a  respite  of  eight  days,  being  joined 
by  about  one  hundred  Indians,  proceeded  with  a  force  of  three 
hundred  Canadians,  ninety  Marines  and  one  hundred  Indians, 
to  intercept  Col.  Bradstreet — with  the  results  before  stated. 

The  following  letter,  under  date  of  June  28,  1756,  from 
Oswego,  appears  in  the  New  York  Mercury : 

“  On  the  morning  of  the  16th  inst.,  about  four  o’clock,  a 
party  of  three  or  four  hundred  French  and  Indians  made  an 


364 


ONONDAGA. 


attack  upon  forts  Oswego  and  Ontario,  and  killed  and  scalped 
five  of  the  bateau  guard  sent  from  fort  Ontario  on  that  side 
of  the  river.  They  took  one  prisoner,  mortally  wounded  an¬ 
other  arid  slightly  wounded  a  third  ;  were  repulsed,  but  not 
without  considerable  loss,  as  the  cannon  played  upon  them  for 
an  hour  and  a  half,  and  they  went  off  about  eleven  o’clock.” 

Two  whale  boats  were  sent  to  make  discoveries  on  the  French 
shore  the  same  day,  and  after  rowing  about  eleven  miles,  a 
large  French  and  Indian  force  was  discovered  in  the  woods,  on 
the  lake  shore  east  of  Oswego,  which  was  fired  upon  from  the 
fleet,  and  afterwards  retreated. 

From  the  prisoners  taken  by  Col.  Bradstreet,  he  learned 
Montcalm’s  design  upon  Oswego,  and  that  he  was  already  on 
this  side  of  the  lake,  prepared  to  make  an  attack  upon  that 
place,  with  a  large  army. 

The  island  upon  which  the  hottest  of  this  battle  was  fought, 
is  now  called  Braddock’s  Island,  (properly  Bradstreet’s,)  and 
at  low  water  the  boys  frequently  pick  up  bullets  among  the 
stones,  at  the  bottom  of  the  river.  The  woods  in  the  vicini- 
ty,  long  bore  the  marks  of  the  deadly  strife,  and  it  has  not 
been  uncommon,  until  recently,  to  find  bullets  embedded  in 
the  trees.  A  single  French  soldier  was  left  upon  a  small 
island,  near  the  western  shore,  in  the  rapids  called  Braddock’s 
(Bradstreet’s)  Rifts,  who  lay  concealed  for  some  weeks,  until 
his  friends  had  all  left  the  country.  He  afterwards  made  it 
his  abode  for  years,  leading  a  solitary  life.  It  still  bears  the 
name  of  “  The  Frenchman  s  Island.” 

In  the  vicinity  of  this  affair,  within  the  distance  of  two  or 
three  miles,  on  both  sides  of  the  river  are  found  remains  of 
ancient  fortifications,  the  history  of  which  is  unknown.  They 
generally  consist  of  embankments  with  ditches,  and  many  of 
them  were  overgrown  with  large  timber. 

About  eighteen  years  since,  Mr.  Jacob  Raynor  dug  up  on 
his"  farm,  at  the  west  end  of  the  Free  Bridge,'  an  exquisitely 
wrought  ornament  of  gold,  worth  twenty  dollars. 

About  forty  years  since,  a  large  tree  was  cut  near  the 
white  house,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  in  which  were  found 


OSWEGO. 


365 


a  large  number  of  musket  balls,  and  an  old  blaze  which  had 
evidently  been  the  mark  at  which  they  were  fired.  There 
was  no  external  appearance  of  a  wound  on  the  tree,  and 
the  blaze  was  overgrown  by  one  hundred  and  twelve  cor¬ 
tical  layers.  The  party  who  made  this  their  target,  must 
have  done  so  previous  to  the  expedition  of  Count  Frontenac 
against  the  Onondagas,  in  1696.  Perhaps  Dupuys  encamped 
here  for  a  night,  in  1656,  or  may  be  the  original  lords  of  the 
soil,  at  a  period  still  earlier,  here  tested  the  respective  merits 
of  fire-arms,  and  bows  and  arrows. 

Some  eight  or  ten  rods  below  the  Oswego  Falls,  on  the 
grounds  of  Mr.  Timothy  Pratt,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Oswego 
River,  are  the  ruins  of  an  old  fort,  which  was  probably  erect¬ 
ed  by  order  of  Col.  Bradstreet  or  Gen.  Amherst,  at  the  time 
Forts  Stanwix  and  Brewerton  were  built,  in  1758,  for  in  a  let¬ 
ter  from  Albany,  dated  20th  August,  1758,  after  describing 
Col.  Bradstreet’s  force,  and  his  meditated  attack  upon  Fort 
Frontenac,  he  says,  “The  remaining  troops  at  the  great  carry¬ 
ing  place  are  employed  in  building  a  fort  there.”  ( See  cut.) 


PHILLIP  SVIILE. 

DAM.  MILLS. 


BOME  HILL. 


In  1759,  a  garrison  of  one  hundred  men  was  kept  there. 
It  was  certainly  a  place  of  no  ordinary  importance,  as  all  mil¬ 
itary  stores  had  to  pass  that  way ;  were  unloaded,  and  again 
re-shipped,  after  “  running"  the  boats  light  over  the  falls. 


366 


ONONDAGA. 


The  necessity  for  a  fort  here  was  no  doubt  experienced  long 
*  before  one  was  built.  The  confusion  usually  attending  these 
operations  made  it  a  point  easily  assailable,  and  frequent  in¬ 
stances  of  attack  and  delay  are  known  to  have  occurred.  Al¬ 
though  there  are  no  historical  records  of  battles  fought,  and 
victories  won  upon  this  ground,  yet  the  relics  of  arms,  bullets 
and  hatchets,  often  found  in  the  vicinity,  plainly  show  that 
the  din  of  war  and  the  clash  of  arms  have  been  nounfrequent 
occurrence  or  school-boy’s  play,  around  the  “  Fort  at  the 
Falls.”  During  the  war  of  1812,  this  point  was  made  a  de¬ 
pot  for  munitions  of  war  and  naval  stores,  for  the  forts  at 
Oswego  and  Sackett’s  Harbor,  and  the'  fleet  upon  Lake  On¬ 
tario.  It  was  also  frequently  used  as  a  ground  for  the  encamp¬ 
ment  of  troops  passing  down  to  Oswego.  The  lower  part  or 
section  of  this  fort  nearest  the  river,  has  been  cut  off  by  the 
Oswego  Canal.  (See  figure.)  But  the  upper  portion,  although 
it  has  the  appearance  of  having  been  plowed  over,  is  in  a  tol¬ 
erable  state  of  preservation.  The  bottom  of  the  ditch  is  about 
four  feet  below  the  top  of  the  embankment.  In  its  construc¬ 
tion,  the  earth  was  probably  thrown  out  on  both  sides  alike, 
forming  a  high  breast-work  within  the  fort.  The  whole  was 
probably  surrounded  by  palisades.  It  was  a  regular  octangu¬ 
lar  work,  of  which  both  the  exterior  and  interior  angles  were 
very  acute.  Some  fifty  rods  below  the  fort  was  formerly  a 
semi-circular  enclosure,  on  the  high  bank  of  the  river,  about 
ten  rods  across,  and  the  embankment  three  feet  high,  within 
the  recollection  of  the  early  settlers.  This,  without  doubt, 
was  a  work  of  aboriginal  origin,  and  has  probably  been  the 
look-out  ground  for  the  red  warrior  in  by-gone  years,  as  his 
dingy  foes  crossed  this  fording  place,  or  shot  their  light  ca¬ 
noes  over  the  rushing  cascade.  This  locality  was  pointed  out 
and  explained  to  the  author  by  Mr.  Peter  Skenck.  Directly 
opposite  to  this  semi-circular  enclosure,  is  a  place  known  as 
“  Bone  Hill.”  This  is  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river,  between 
it  and  the  highway.  It  was  formerly  some  six  rods  in  diame¬ 
ter  at  the  base,  and  about  forty  feet  high  from  the  surface. 
By  frequent  plowings  its  height  lias  been  materially  diminish- 


OSWEGO. 


367 


ed.  On  this  hill  there  formerly  stood  two  large  chesnut  trees 
about  twenty  feet  apart.  These  were  cut  down  at  an  early 
day,  by  Mr.  Van  Valkenburgh,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in 
that  region.  Mr.  Skenck  assisted  in  the  digging  up  of  one 
of  these  stumps,  and  beneath  it  were  found  multitudes  of  hu¬ 
man  bones,  some  of  which  were  perfect,  others  in  an  advanced 
stage  of  decay,  showing  that  it  had  long  been  the  resting 
place  of  the  remains  of  the  dead,  and  probably  of  those  who 
had  been  slain  in  battle.  Pieces  and  fragments  of  bones  were 
formerly  so  plenty  as  to  be  seen  in  vast  numbers  from  the 
road,  covering  the  whole  surface  of  the  hill,  and  are  frequent 
even  at  this  late  day,  for  we  found  scattered  fragments  *of 
them  strewed  over  the  surface,  in  the  fall  of  1848,  though 
crumbling  and  fast  dissolving  into  their  original  elements.  Mr. 
Skenck,  who  visited  the  place  with  the  author,  remarked,  that 
in  an  arm  bone  of  one  that  was  disinterred,  was  found  stick¬ 
ing  a  flint  arrow-head,  firm  and  immoveable.  Arrow-heads 
of  flint  are  still  found  in  considerable  numbers,  about  Fish 
Lake,  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Fulton.  Six  miles  south  of 
the  Oswego  Falls,  on  lots  twenty-four  and  thirty-two,  of  the 
township  of  Lysander,  now  in  the  town  of  Granby,  are  two 
circular  enclosures.  One  of  these  is  not  far  from  the  Oswego 
and  Syracuse  Rail  Road,  on  the  State’s  hundred,  of  lot  twenty- 
four.  These  were  partially  surveyed  by  Mr.  Skenck  several 
years  ago,  and  were  found  to  contain  about  two  acres  each. 
They  were  nearly  exact  circles,  a  little  elongated,  and  laid  out 
with  great  regularity.  The  earth  had  been  thrown  inward  to 
form  an  embankment,  leaving  a  ditch  some  five  feet  below  the 
top  of  the  bank.  A  gateway  was  apparent  on  the  east  side 
of  each.  On  both  of  these  were  found  growing,  heavy  timber, 
oak,  maple,  pine,  and  other  forest  trees.  One  of  these  an¬ 
cient  works  has  been  cleared  off,  and  the  occupant  has  graced 
the  embankment  with  a  row  of  apple  trees.  These  works,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  opinions  of  our  most  experienced  ethnologists 
and  antiquarians,  are  of  a  race  who  occupied  here  prior  to 
those  who  were  in  possession  of  the  soil  when  the  first  white 
people  came  to  inhabit  this  land.  It  is  the  simplest  form  of 


368 


ONONDAGA. 


military  architecture  in  use  among  the  most  ancient  and  rude 
inhabitants  of  our  country. 

We  return  to  the  interesting  events  of  1756.  In  this  year, 
the  Marquis  Montcalm  succeeded  Baron  Dieskau,  in  the  com¬ 
mand  of  the  military  force  of  the  French  in  Canada.  He 
was  an  experienced  and  energetic  officer,  no  way  inferior  to 
his  distinguished  but  unfortunate  predecessor.  The  first  thing 
which  attracted  his  observing  and  experienced  mind,  was  the 
important  English  post  at  Oswego,  tie  at  once  resolved  upon 
its  reduction,  before  the  English  should  have  time  to  consum- 
ate  their  designs  upon  Niagara. 

In  the  month  of  June,  M.  Montcalm  with  an  army  of  five 
thousand  men,  crossed  the  lake  from  Fort  Frontenac.  The 
party  which  attacked  Col.  Bradstreet,  on  the  3d  of  July,  was 
a  detatchment  from  the  army  of  Montcalm,  which  was  already 
upon  this  side  of  the  lake.  The  Colonial  authorities  at  Alba¬ 
ny,  upon  being  informed  of  the  approach  of  this  formidable 
force  towards  Oswego,  ordered  Gen.  Webb  to  re-enforce  the 
garrison  with  one  regiment,  but  the  difficulties  attending  the 
collection  of  necessaries,  and  the  transporting  of  troops  in 
an  uninhabited  wilderness,  delayed  the  detachment  until  the 
post  had  fallen,  the  tidings  of  which  met  Gen.  Webb  at  Wood 
Creek.  After  obstructing  the  navigation  of  that  stream,  by 
felling  trees  into  it,  to  prevent  the  French  from  advancing  by 
that  route  with  their  boats,  should  they  conclude  to  follow  up 
the  success  and  make  a  descent  upon  the  inhabitants  at  Schen¬ 
ectady  and  Albany,  he  retraced  his  steps  to  the  place  of  his 
departure. 

M.  Montcalm  landed  his  artillery  and  stores,  at  the  Bay  of 
Nixouri,  (probably  Henderson,)  and  his  first  important  step, 
was  to  block  up  the  river  with  two  large  armed  vessels,  and 
post  a  strong  body  of  Canadians  on  the  road  leading  from  Al¬ 
bany  to  Oswego,  within  half  a  league  of  Oswego.  He  erected 
a  battery  for  the  protection  of  his  vessels  ;  and  on  the  12th 
of  August,  at  midnight,  after  his  dispositions  had  been  made, 
he  opened  his  trenches  before  Fort  Ontario. 


OSWEGO. 


369 


The  following  account  of  the  seige  and  surrender  of  Os¬ 
wego,  is  from  the  London  Magazine,  for  1757  : 

“  The  works  at  Oswego,  consisted  at  this  time  of  three  forts, 
viz  :  The  old  fort  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  two  forts 
on  the  east  side,  situated  on  two  eminences,  which  latter  were 
commenced  the  year  previous,  and  were  in  an  unfinished 
state.  These  works  were  very  weak,  and  the  walls  of  in¬ 
sufficient  strength  to  resist  heavy  artillery.  The  English 
relied  for  defense,  upon  having  a  superior  naval  force  upon 
the  lake.  Unfortunately,  the  naval  armament,  at  that  time 
fitting  out,  was  incomplete.  On  the  6th  of  August,  Col. 
Mercer,  commanding  officer  of  the  garrison,  which  consisted 
of  about  one  thousand  six  hundred  men,  having  received  in¬ 
telligence  of  a  large  encampment  of  French  and  Indians 
about  twelve  miles  distant,  dispatched  a  schooner  with  an  ac¬ 
count  of  it  to  Capt.  Broadley,  Avho  was  then  on  a  cruise  w’ith 
a  large  Brigantine  and  two  sloops,  at  the  same  time  desiring 
him  to  sail  as  far  eastward  as  he  could,  and  to  endeavor  to 
prevent  the  approach  of  the  French  on  the  lake.  The  next 
day,  a  violent  gale  of  wind,  drove  the  brigantine  ashore,  while 
attempting  to  get  into  harbor.  The  French  seized  this  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  transport  their  heavy  cannon  within  a  mile  and  a 
half  of  the  fort,  which  they  would  not  have  been  enabled  to  do, 
had  it  not  been  for  this  disaster.  On  the  morning  of  the 
eleventh,  some  canoes  were  seen  to  the  eastward,  and  the 
schooner  was  sent  out  to  make  a  discovery  of  what  they  were. 
Shewas  scarce  half  a  mile  distant,  before  she  hoisted  a  jack 
at  mast  head,  fired  a  gun  to  leeward,  and  stood  in  again  for 
the  harbor,  and  brought  intelligence  that  they  had  discovered 
a  very  large  encampment  close  around  the  opposite  point,  on 
which  the  two  sloops  (the  large  brigantine  being  still  on  shore) 
were  sent  out  with  orders,  if  possible,  to  annoy  the  enemy. 
They  proceeded  to  within  gun  shot  of  the  enemy’s  camp,  w’hen 
they  were  fired  upon  from  a  battery  of  four  twelve  pounders. 
This  fire  was  briskly  returned  from  both  vessels,  but  to  no 
purpose,  as  their  shot  fell  short  of  the  shore,  and  the  enemy’s 
cannon  being  large  and  well  managed,  hulled  the  vessels  at 

b  24 


870 


ONONDAGA. 


almost  every  shot.  After  firing  several  broadsides,  the  ves¬ 
sels  returned. 

The  same  day  the  French  invested  the  place  with  about 
thirty-two  pieces  of  cannon,  from  twelve  to  eighteen  pounders, 
besides  several  brass  mortars  and  hoyets,  (among  which  ar¬ 
tillery  was  included  that  taken  from  General  Braddock)  and 
about  five  thousand  men.  About  noon  they  began  the  attack 
of  Fort  Ontario  with  small  arms,  which  was  briskly  returned 
with  small  arms  and  eight  cannon  from  the  fort,  and  shell 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  garrison  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river  was  this  day  employed  in  repairing  the  bat¬ 
tery  on  the  south  side  of  the  old  fort.  That  night  the  enemy 
were  engaged  in  approaching  Fort  Ontario  and  bringing  up 
their  cannon  against  it.  On  the  12th,  the  enemy  renewed 
their  fire  of  small  arms  on  Fort  Ontario,  which  was  briskly 
returned.  The  garrison  on  the  west  side  were  employed  as 
on  the  day  previous. 

The  French  on  the  east  side  continued  their  approaches  to 
Fort  Ontario,  notwithstanding  the  continued  fire  upon  the 
enemy  and  the  death  of  their  chief  engineer ;  by  ten  o’clock 
next  morning  they  opened  a  battery  of  cannon  within  sixty 
yards  of  the  fort. 

At  twelve  o’clbck,  Col.  Mercer  sent  the  garrison  word  to 
destroy  their  cannon,  ammunition  and  provisions,  and  to 
evacuate  the  fort.  About  three  P.  M.,  the  garrison  consist¬ 
ing  of  about  three  hundred  and  seventy  men,  effected  their 
retreat  to  the  west  side  of  the  river  without  the  loss  of  a  man, 
and  were  employed  on  the  night  of  the  12th  in  completing  the 
works  at  the  fort  on  the  west  hill.  About  four  miles  and  a 
half  up  the  river  was  Fort  George,  the  defense  of  which  had 
been  committed  to  Col.  Schuyler  on  the  abandonment  of  the 
first  fort  by  Col.  Mercer.  About  three  hundred  and  seventy 
of  his  men  had  joined  Col.  Schuyler,  with  the  intention  of  hav¬ 
ing  an  intercourse  between  his  fort  and  that  to  which  their 
own  commander  retreated  ;  but  a  body  of  two  thousand  five 
hundred  Canadians  and  Indians,  crossed  the  river  in  the 
night  of  the  13th  and  14th,  and  cut  off  that  communica- 


OSWEGO. 


371 


tion  On  this  night  as  well  as  on  the  night  before,  par¬ 
ties  of  the  enemy’s  regulars  made  several  attempts  to  sur¬ 
prise  the  advanced  guards  and  sentries  on  the  west  side  ol 
the  river.  On  the  night  of  the  13th  the  enemy  were  em¬ 
ployed  on  the  east  side  in  bringing  up  their  cannon  and  rais¬ 
ing  a  battery  against  the  old  fort.  A  constant  fire  was 
kept  upon  them  from  the  west  side.  The  cannon  which  most 
annoyed  the  enemy,  were  pieces  which  were  reversed  on 
the  platform  of  an  earthen  work  which  surrounded  the  old 
fort,  and  which  was  entirely  enfiladed  by  the  enemy’s  bat¬ 
tery  on  the  opposite  shore.  In  this  situation,  without  the 
least  cover,  the  train  assisted  by  a  detachment  of  fifty  of  Ship¬ 
ley’s  regiment  behaved  remarkably  well.  At  daybreak  the 
14th,  the  English  renewed  the  fire  of  their  cannon  on  that 
part  of  the  shore  where  they  had  the  evening  previous  ob¬ 
served  the  enemy  erecting  a  battery.  This  was  returned  irom  a 
battery  of  ten  twelve  pounders.  About  nine  A.  M.,  twenty- 
five  hundred  of  the  enemy  crossed  the  river  in  three  columns. 
Col.  Mercer  who  had  been  very  careful  to  observe  the  move¬ 
ments  of  the  French,  ordered  Col.  Schuyler  with  five  hundred 
men  to  dispute  the  passage  of  the  river,  but  had  scarcely  de¬ 
livered  these  orders,  when  going  into  the  fort  to  give  some 
others  equally  necessary,  he  was  killed  by  a  cannon  shot. 
Upon  this,  Col.  Scuyler  was  ordered  back. 

About  ten  o’clock  the  enemy  had  in  readiness  a  battery  of 
mortars.  All  the  places  of  defense  were  either  enfiladed  or 
ruined  by  the  constant  fire  of  the  enemy’s  cannon.  Twenty- 
five  hundred  French  and  Indians  were  in  rear  of  the  works 
ready  to  storm,  and  two  thousand  regulars  were  ready  to  land 
in  front  under  cover  of  their  cannon.  At  this  juncture,  Col. 
Littlehales  upon  whom  the  command  now  devolved,  called  a 
council  of  war,  who  were,  with  the  engineers,  unanimously  of 
opinion,  that  the  works  were  no  longer  tenable,  and  that  it 
was  by  no  means  prudent  to  risk  a  storm  with  such  unequal 
numbers.  The  “  Chamade”  was  accordingly  ordered  to  be 
beat.  The  soldiers  throughout  the  seige  showed  great  bra¬ 
very,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  they  could  now  be  re- 


272 


ONONDAGA. 


strained  from  continuing  their  resistance.  On  heating  the 
cliamade  the  firing  ceased  on  both  sides,  and  two  officers  were 
sent  to  the  French  general  to  know  upon  what  terms  he  would 
accept  a  surrender  ;  upon  which  Montcalm  replied,  that  the 
English  were  an  enemy  he  respected,  and  that  none  but  a 
brave  nation  would  have  thought  of  defending  so  weak  a 
place  so  long  against  such  a  strong  train  of  artillery  and 
superior  numbers,  that  they  might  expect  whatever  terms  were 
consistent  with  the  service  of  His  Most  Christian  Majesty. 
He  accordingly  sent  the  following  proposals,  viz. : 

“  The  Marquis  of  Montcalm,  Army  and  Field-Marshal, 
Commander-in-chief  of  His  Most  Christian  Majesty’s  Troops 
is  ready  to  receive  a  capitulation  upon  the  most  honorable  con¬ 
ditions,  surrendering  to  him  all  the  forts.  They  shall  be 
shown  all  the  regard  the  politest  nations  can  show.  I  send 
an  aid-de-camp  on  my  part,  viz.  :  Mons.  De  Bougainville, 
Captain  of  dragoons.  They  need  only  send  the  capitulation 
to  be  signed.  I  require  an  answer  by  noon.  I  have  kept 
Mr.  Drake  for  an  hostage. 

MONTCALM. 

August  14,  1756.” 

The  articles  of  capitulation  were  as  follows : — 

“Art.  1st.  The  garrison  shall  surrender  prisoners  of  war, 
and  shall  be  conducted  hence  to  Montreal,  where  they  shall 
be  treated  with  humanity ;  and  every  one  in  a  manner  suita¬ 
ble  to  his  rank,  according  to  the  customs  of  war. 

Art.  2d.  The  officers  and  soldiers  shall  have  their  baggage 
and  clothes  belonging  to  them  as  individuals  ;  and  shall  be  al¬ 
lowed  to  carry  away  their  effects  with  them. 

Art.  3d.  They  shall  remain  prisoners  of  war  till  exchanged, 
on  their  giving  up  faithfully  the  fortifications,  artillery,  ammu¬ 
nition,  magazines,  barks  and  boats  with  their  appurtenances.” 

The  English  complained  that  the  articles  of  capitulation 
were  not  punctually  observed.  The  British  officers  and  soldiers 
were  insulted  by  the  savages,  who  robbed  them  of  their  clothes 
and  baggage,  massacred  several  men  as  they  stood  defenseless 
on  parade,  assassinated  Lieutenant  De  la  Court,  as  he  lay  wound- 


OSWEGO. 


373 


ed  in  his  tent  under  the  protection  of  a  French  officer,  and 
barbarously  scalped  all  the  sick  people  in  the  hospital.  Final¬ 
ly,  Montcalm  in  direct  violation  of  the  articles,  as  'well  as  in 
contempt  of  humanity,  delivered  up  above  twenty  men  of  the 
garrison  to  the  Indians,  in  lieu  of  the  same  number  they  had 
lost  during  the  seige,  who  were  undoubtedly  put  to  death  by 
the  most  excrutiating  tortures.*  The  prisoners  taken  at  Os¬ 
wego,  after  having  been  thus  barbarously  treated,  were  con¬ 
veyed  in  bateaux  to  Montreal,  where  they  had  no  reason  to 
complain  of  their  reception,  and  before  the  end  of  the  year 
were  exchanged.  The  victors  immediately  demolished  the  forts, 
in  which  they  found  one  hundred  and  twenty-one  pieces  of 
artillery,  fourteen  mortars,  with  a  great  quantity  of  small  arms, 
ammunition,  warlike  stores  and  provisions,  twenty-three  thou¬ 
sand  weight  of  powder,  eight  thousand  weight  of  iron  and 
lead  in  balls  and  bullets,  one  hundred  and  fifty  bombs,  besides 
two  sloops  and  two  hundred  bateaux,  a  great  quantity  of  cord¬ 
age  and  naval  stores,  which  likewise  fell  into  their  hands.  Such 
an  important  magazine,  deposited  in  a  place  altogether  inde¬ 
fensible,  and  without  the  reach  of  immediate  succour,  was  a 
flagrant  proof  of  egregious  folly,  temerity  and  misconduct. 
After  the  destruction  of  the  forts,  the  French  quietly  retired 
without  further  demonstrations  of  conquest.  Having  no 
use  for  the  sloops  of  war,  the  Marquis  Montcalm  ordered 
them  to  be  set  on  fire,  and  they  were  sent  adrift  upon  the  lake. 
Having  burned  to  the  water’s  edge,  these  vessels  floated  ashore 
about  thirty  miles  below  Oswego.  The  wreck  of  one  of  them 
lay  embedded  in  the  sand  a  little  distance  from  the  shore  near 
the  mouth  of  Deer  Creek,  and  was  visible  for  half  a  century. 
Capt.  Archibald  Fairfield,  formerly  a  citizen  of  Oswego,  about 
the  year  1807  or  1808  succeeded  in  getting  out  a  small  cannon 
from  the  wreck.  In  the  spring  of  1809,  Col.  T.  S.  Morgan 
in  passing  from  Oswego  to  Sackett’s  Harbor  in  a  skiff,  (at  that 
time  no  uncommon  way  of  communication)  had  his  attention 
attracted  by  some  object  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water, 


*  Smollett,  voL  2,  p.  224. 


ONONDAGA. 


27i 

and  upon  approaching  the  spot  discovered  this  wreck.  The 
charred  timber-heads  and  stern-post  reaching  nearly  to  the  top 
of  the  water.  The  water  was  so  smooth  that  he  could  mark 
her  dimensions  and  see  her  rudder  irons.  She  is  doubtless  in 
the  same  position  yet,  and  probably  covered  with  sand. 

The  capture  of  this  important  post  was  deemed  of  great 
consequence  by  the  French,  though  they  could  not  occupy  it 
as  a  fortress  themselves.  The  place  of  rendezvous  of  their 
enemies,  from  which  their  own  positions  could  be  most  easily 
assailed  was  no  more,  and  nothing  was  left  to  intercept  their 
free  communication  with  their  western  posts.  They  were  now 
sole  masters  of  all  the  lakes,  and  the  Six  Nations,  the  only 
Indians  who  remained  inviolably  attached  to  the  English  inter¬ 
est  were  left  unprotected.  The  fortifications  at  the  Mohawk 
carrying  place  had  been  destroyed  by  the  English  and  the  nav¬ 
igation  of  Wood  Creek  closed  by  fallen  trees,  and  before  the 
close  of  the  year  1757,  the  French  laid  waste  several  settle¬ 
ments  in  the  Mohawk  valley. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1758,  Col.  Bradstreet  arrived  at 
Oswego  with  3,340  men,  on  his  route  against  Fort  Frontenac, 
which  place  he  carried  with  a  triflng  loss.  After  demolishing 
the  fort,  securing  what  he  could  of  the  immense  military  stores 
there  deposited,  and  the  shipping  of  the  French,  he  returned 
in  triumph  to  Oswego.  This  brilliant  exploit  of  Col.  Brtid- 
street,  was  productive  of  valuable  consequences  to  the  English. 
It  made  ample  amends  for  the  destruction  of  OswTego  by  the 
French  two  years  before.  Col.  Bradstreet  set  about  repair¬ 
ing  the  works  at  Oswego,  and  during  this  year,  finished  the 
fort  at  the  great  carrying  place. 

From  this  time  to  its  abandonment  in  1798,  Oswrego  was 
occupied  by  the  British,  and  became  one  of  her  most  import¬ 
ant  posts. 

Fort  Ontario  was  rebuilt  on  a  large  scale  and  in  a  more 
substantial  manner.  The  other  forts  were  not  repaired,  but 
were  suffered  to  go  to  decay.  Major  Duncan  was  left  in  com¬ 
mand  by  Gen.  Amherst.  Ilis  regiment,  the  fifty-fifth  High¬ 
landers,  composed  the  garrison  for  several  years.  This  place 


OSWEGO. 


375 


was  the  key  of  communication  between  New-York  and  the 
British  posts  in  Canada,  and  the  western  lakes.  A  constant 
intercourse  was  kept  up  with  New- York  by  way  of  the  falls, 
Fort  Brewerton,  Fort  Bull,  Fort  Stanwix,  and  the  valley  of 
the  Mohawk. 

It  was  during  the  winter  of  1760-61  and  the  following  sum¬ 
mer,  that  Mrs.  Grant,  then  a  child,  resided  here  with  her  fa¬ 
ther,  an  officer  in  the  garrison.  In  her  Memoirs  of  an  Ameri¬ 
can  Lady,  are  narrated  some  circumstances  of  interest,  which 
served  then  to  beguile  the  monotony  of  life  in  an  isolated  gar¬ 
rison. 

In  the  spring  of  1761,  Major  Duncan  having  a  prospect  of 
being  stationed  at  Oswego  for  a  number  of  years,  employed 
his  men  in  clearing  out  the  stumps  from  the  land  which  sur¬ 
rounded  Fort  Ontario,  from  which  the  timber  had  been  cut  to 
build  the  fortifications  and  for  firewood  for  the  garrison.  He 
laid  out  the  same  into  large  and  tasteful  gardens,  from  which 
the  garrison  for  many  years  raised  an  ample  supply  of  vege¬ 
tables.  During  the  occupancy  of  the  fort  by  the  British,  the 
cultivated  grounds  were  extended  above  Bridge  street  on  the 
south,  and  easterly  to  the  alder  swamp,  lying  in  the  vicinity 
of  Sixth  street.  Some  fields  were  also  cultivated  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river.  The  labor  was  all  performed  by  hand,  as 
there  was  not  a  horse  or  ox  in  Oswego,  and  but  one  cow,  and 
that  was  owned  by  the  sutler. 

The  peace  with  France  by  the  treaty  of  Fontainebleau,  al¬ 
though  it  secured  the  French  North  American  possessions  to 
the  English,  by  no  means  restored  quiet  among  the  power¬ 
ful  Indian  nations  who  had  been  a  long  time  faithful  to  the 
French.  The  consequence  was,  that  an  Indian  war  broke 
out,  which  rendered  Oswego  a  military  post  of  vast  import¬ 
ance.  Col.  Duncan  with  six  companies  occupied  the  place 
till  1765. 

Mr.  Henry  Van  Schaack,  an  enterprising  merchant  who  re¬ 
sided  at  Albany  from  1756  to  1769,  had  a  trading  establish¬ 
ment  during  most  of  that  period  at  Oswego,  and  another  at 
Niagara.  After  the  capture  of  that  post  by  Gen.  Sir  William 


376 


ONONDAGA. 


Johnson,  in  1759,  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  the  fur 
trade,  which  attracted  the  attention  of  a  large  proportion  of 
the  most  active  business  men  of  that  day.  He  made  frequent 
journeys  to  Oswego,  Niagara  and  Detroit,  where  he  had  an¬ 
other  trading  house  previous  to  1764,  which  was  suspended 
during  Pontiac’s  war.  Mr.  Van  Schaack  was  often  engaged 
in  the  transportation  of  military  stores  and  merchandise  around 
the  carrying  places  at  Oswego  Falls,  Fort  Stanwix  and  Little 
Falls. 

So  far  as  our  limited  knowledge  extends,  the  history  of  Os¬ 
wego,  during  the  ten  years  previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Revolutionary  war,  is  unknown ;  and  during  all  the  time  of 
that  eventful  struggle,  little  of  its  coincidences  and  events  are 
recorded.  It  was  however,  garrisoned  by  a  strong  British 
force,  and  was  a  place  of  general  rendezvous  for  the  enemies 
of  freedom  and  their  allies,  the  warriors  of  the  Six  Nations, 
through  the  whole  period  of  the  war.  Here  were  concocted 
many  of  the  schemes  of  conquest  and  slaughter  which  desola¬ 
ted  the  settlements  of  the  Mohawk,  Schoharie  and  Cherry 
Valley.  Here  St.  Leger  concentrated  his  forces  preparatory 
to  his  contemplated  junction  with  Gen.  Burgoyne.  Hither 
he  retreated  after  his  disastrous  siege  of  Fort  Schuyler;  and 
here  was  the  principal  head  quarters  of  the  Butlers,  Johnsons 
and  Brant,  who  with  the  Tories  on  the  frontier  and  their  sav¬ 
age  allies,  sallied  forth  from  this  rallying  point,  scattering 
death  and  desolation  wherever  their  inclination  led. 

Oswego  was  not  a  battle  ground  of  the  Revolution.  The 
plan  of  a  campaign  for  the  year  1779,  against  Oswego,  Ni¬ 
agara  and  Detroit,  and  all  the  British  posts  on  the  lakes,  was 
proposed  in  Congress,  and  seriously  discussed.  But  the  com- 
mander-in-chief  being  opposed  to  it,  the  design  was  relin¬ 
quished,  and  the  enemy  were  permitted  to  retain  a  position 
which  afforded  them  every  facility  for  controling  the  Iroquois 
and  stimulating  them  to  acts  of  hostility  upon  the  defenseless 
borderers. 

The  capture  of  Cornwallis  in  October,  1781,  decided  the 
fate  of  the  colonies.  Little  of  importance  was  done  either  by 


OSWEGO. 


377 


the  English  or  Americans.  A  disposition  for  peace  was  mani¬ 
fested  in  every  quarter,  still  it  was  not  certain  that  the  strug¬ 
gle  was  over.  The  commander-in-chief  used  every  exertion 
to  keep  the  army  in  a  condition  for  active  service,  and  the 
country  in  an  attidude  of  defense,  in  case  the  prospects  of 
peace  should  vanish  and  the  alarms  of  war  he  renewed. 

About  the  close  of  the  war,  General  Washington  conceived 
the  project  of  taking  the  fortress  of  Oswego  by  surprise.  He 
confided  the  execution  of  the  plan  to  Col.  Willett,  who  with 
the  utmost  secrecy  as  to  his  destination,  assembled  his  forces 
consisting  of  about  four  hundred  and  seventy  men  at  Fort 
Herkimer  on  the  8th  of  February,  1783.  His  second  in  com¬ 
mand  was  Major  Van  Bunscouten.  He  commenced  his  journey 
immediately  in  sleighs,  and  proceeded  along  the  northern  shore 
of  Oneida  Lake  to  Fort  Brewerton,  where  the  sleighs  were 
left  in  charge  of  a  guard,  and  proceeded  on  foot.  They  first 
struck  the  Oswego  River  opposite  to  Ox  Creek,  three  miles 
above  the  falls.  They  then  marched  down  to  the  lower  land¬ 
ing,  and  arrived  there  about  two  o’clock  P.  M.,  (below  Ful¬ 
ton,  near  Waterhouse’s  now  Dr.  Lee’s  farm)  where  they  made 
seventeen  scaling  ladders.  At  this  place  the  party  again  took 
to  the  ice  as  far  as  Bradstreet’s  rift.  At  this  point  they  took 
to  the  woods  to  avoid  discovery.  By  ten  o’clock  in  the  eve¬ 
ning  they  were  within  four  miles  of  the  fort.  After  traveling 
about  the  woods  two  hours  longer  and  not  coming  in  sight  of 
the  place  of  destination,  an  investigation  of  the  cause  was 
undertaken,  when  to  the  great  surprise  and  mortification  of 
the  commander  and  the  whole  corps,  it  was  ascertained  that 
by  diverging  from  the  river,  their  guide,  a  young  Oneida  In¬ 
dian,  had  lost  his  way.  Their  situation  wras  indeed  awkward 
and  perplexing. 

They  had  been  at  one  time  nearly  within  speaking  distance 
of  the  works,  and  the  shout  of  victory  was  almost  raised  in 
anticipation,  when  suddenly  they  discovered  that  they  were 
lost  in  a  dense  forest,  amid  mountains  of  snow.  The  march 
had  been  one  of  great  severity,  and  as  their  orders  had  been 
peremptory,  if  the  fort  was  not  surprised,  no  other  attempt 


378 


ONONDAGA. 


should  be  made  to  take  it.  They  reluctantly  concluded  to  re¬ 
trace  their  steps  upon  the  morrow.  They  kept  in  motion  till 
day  break,  although  suffering  intensely  from  the  cold  ;  and  as 
the  beams  of  day  advanced,  the  fort  was  revealed  to  their 
wondering  eyes.  They  found  themselves  on  the  hill,  since 
known  as  Oak  Hill,  in  the  south-east  part  of  Oswego  Village, 
in  full  view  of  the  object  of  their  toil,  and  within  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  of  the  frowning  battlements  of  the  fort.  Early  in 
the  morning,  some  wood-choppei’s  came  near  them  from  the 
garrison,  two  of  whom  were  taken  prisoners,  but  a  third  es¬ 
caped  and  fled  to  the  fort.  From  their  position  they  could 
see  that  considerable  excitement  was  aroused  and  that  the  sol¬ 
diers  were  engaged  in  shoveling  the  snow  from  the  cannon  on 
the  ramparts.  The  expedition,  however,  was  at  an  end,  and 
Col.  Willett,  wTith  his  party,  who  a  few  hours  before  were  an¬ 
ticipating  an  easy  victory,  were  now  forced  to  retire.  They 
threw  down  their  ladders  in  the  hollow,  south-east  of  Oak 
Hill,  where  the  remains  of  them  were  found  by  the  early  set¬ 
tlers  of  the  place. 

The  party  suffered  immensely  from  the  effects  of  cold.  One 
colored  man  Avas  frozen  to  death ;  another  colored  man,  Avith 
his  fiddle  and  his  song,  did  much  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the 
men,  and  to  induce  them  to  active  exercise,  by  which  they 
were  saved  from  the  fate  of  their  comrade.  Several  of  the 
party  Avere  badly  frozen,  their  feet  having  been  thoroughly 
wet  while  passing  on  the  ice  along  the  river,  which  was  par¬ 
tially  covered  with  water.  Henry  Blakeman,  one  of  the  party, 
and  Joseph  H.  Perrigo,  another,  both  of  Avhoru  afterwards  set¬ 
tled  on  the  Avest  side  of  the  river,  above  the  falls,  wTere  both 
so  badly  frozen  that  they  never  recovered,  and  both  lived  to 
a  good  old  age,  and  died  at  their  late  residence,  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  south  of  Phillipsville,  on  the  river’s  bank.  Capt. 
Edward  Connor,  formerly  of  Oswego,  commanded  a  company 
in  the  expedition.  On  the  return  of  Col.  Willett  to  Albany, 
he  was  met  by  the  joyful  news  of  peace. 

The  English  continued  to  hold  possession  of  Oswego  and 
other  northern  and  Avestern  posts,  from  the  close  of  the  war, 


OSWEGO. 


379 


until  1796,  when  by  Mr.  Jay’s  treaty,  they  were  to  be  sur¬ 
rendered  to  the  government  of  the  United  States.  In  point 
of  fact,  they  held  these  posts  about  two  years  longer,  and  did 
not  finally  surrender  them  till  the  year  1798.  The  reason 
of  their  being  held  over,  was  this  :  Soon  after  the  Revolution, 
the  State  of  Virginia  passed  a  law  in  effect  repudiating  all 
debts  due  from  her  citizens  to  British  subjects,  or  rather  con¬ 
fiscating  all  such  debts  to  the  Treasury  of  the  State,  into 
which  the  same  were  directed  to  be  paid.  The  British  gov¬ 
ernment  thereupon  refused  to  surrender  the  posts.  The  Su¬ 
preme  Court,  upon  the  hearing  of  a  case  arising  upon  some 
of  those  debts,  declared  the  law  of  Virginia  unconstitutional. 
The  money  being  then  paid  over  to  the  creditors,  the  counter¬ 
vailing  measure  was  yielded  and  the  posts  surrendered.  The 
fort  on  Carlton  Island,  however,  not  having  been  demanded 
by  a  United  States  officer,  was  occupied  by  a  sergeant’s  guard 
until  the  war  of  1812,  when  a  party  from  Sackett’s  Harbor 
went  upon  the  Island,  and  made  them  prisoners  of  war. 

Upon  the  surrender  of  Oswego,  the  Fort  was  occupied  for 
two  or  three  years  by  a  lieutenant’s  command,  and  subsequent¬ 
ly  until  about  the  year,.  1803,  by  a  sergeant’s  guard.  After 
which  the  post  was  abandoned  by  the  United  States  govern¬ 
ment,  till  the  war  of  1812. 

In  1797,  an  act  was  passed  directing  the  Surveyor  General 
to  lay  out  one  hundred  acres  on  the  west  side  of  Oswego  Ri¬ 
ver,  into  proper  streets  and  house  lots,  so  as  to  form  in  the 
most  convenient  place,  a  public  square  or  market  place.  The 
principal  streets  to  be  one  hundred  feet  wide,  and  the  cross 
streets  sixty  feet  wide.  The  house  lots  to  be  laid  out  fifty-six 
feet  front  and  rear,  and  two  hundred  feet  deep,  and  lots  for 
public  buildings  to  bo  reserved  on  the  square.  A  map  of  the 
same  was  to  be  deposited  in  the  Surveyor  General’s  office  for 
inspection.  These  lots  by  law  were  ordered  to  be  sold.  The 
Governor  was  authorized  to  reserve  any  lots  he  might  think 
proper  for  public  purposes.  By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  the 
lands  included  in  this  survey  were  to  be  “  called  forever  there¬ 
after  by  the  name  of  Oswego.”  West  Oswego  was  laid  out 


380 


ONONDAGA. 


and  surveyed  b}r  Benjamin  Wright,  Esq.,  in  1797,  and  East 
Oswego  by  John  Randall,  in  1814.  The  principal  sales  were 
made  by  the  State  in  1827.  Mr.  Matthew  McNair,  now  the 
oldest  resident  at  Oswego,  located  here  in  1802,  at  which  time 
there  were  some  six  or  seven  families  living  here  and  in  the 
vicinity.  Among  these  was  a  Mr.  Asa  Rice,  who  lived  three 
miles  west  of  the  river.  He  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and 
was  at  that  time  engaged  in  the  Indian  trade.  His  was  the 
only  family  within  fourteen  miles  of  Oswego.  In  1802,  Mr. 
McNair  found  here  two  frame  houses  and  a  ware  house,  which 
had  been  erected  a  short  time  previous,  by  Benajah  Byington, 
now  living  at  Syracuse.  These  were  all  on  the  west  side, 
none  on  the  east  side.  Archibald  Fairfield  was  a  forwarding 
merchant,  and  stored  salt  and  goods,  and  kept  a  small  boat¬ 
man’s  tavern,  as  did  also  Peter  Sharpe.  It  was  customary 
with  several  of  the  earliest  settlers  at  Oswego,  to  spend  their 
winters  at  Salina,  and  employ  themselves  in  manufacturing 
salt.  There  was  no  road  cut  through  from  Oswego  to  Salina 
till  1804 ;  the  journey  was  usually  made  on  foot  through  the 
woods,  guided  by  blazed  trees,  and  in  the  depth  of  winter 
upon  snow  shoes. 

In  1802,  there  were  only  two  or  three  old,  miserable  vessels 
on  Lake  Ontario,  belonging  to  the  Americans.  The  British 
had  many  more,  and  of  far  superior  quality.  The  rise  and 
progress  of  commerce  and  steam  navigation  on  Lake  Ontario 
since  this  period,  is  probably  Avithout  a  parallel  in  modern 
times. 

The  principal  forwarding  business  was  done  by  Archibald 
Fairfield,  who  owned  two  small  vessels  on  the  lake,  and  Messrs. 
Sharpe  &  Vaughn,  who  owned  a  small  vessel  of  about  fifty 
tons,  called  the  Jane.  Onondaga  salt,  formed  then,  as  now, 
an  important  item  in  the  commercial  business  of  Oswego. 

Mr.  McNair  engaged  in  the  forwarding  business,  in  1803, 
bought  the  schooner  Jane,  and  changed  her  name  to  Peggy. 
A  portion  of  the  goods  and  merchandize  arriving  at  Oswego, 
was  shipped  by  British  vessels,  owned  at  Kingston  and  by 
the  North-Western  Fur  Company,  a  branch  of  the  Hudson 


OSWEGO. 


381 


Bay  Company,  who  then  owned  several  fine  vessels,  and  the 
greatest  number  on  the  lake.  Kingston,  Toronto,  Niagara 
and  Queenston,  were  flourishing  villages,  while  Oswego  had 
but  six  or  seven  families,  Genesee  two  or  three  log  cabins 
and  Lewiston  about  as  many  more.  All  the  trade,  goods 
and  merchandize  down  the  Oswego  River,  had  to  be  unloaded 
at  the  upper  landing  at  Oswego  Falls,  and  carted  a  mile, 
while  the  boats  were  either  drawn  around  the  falls  or  returned. 
Sometimes  however,  a  larger  class  of  boats  received  the  mer¬ 
chandize  and  carried  it  on  to  Oswego  ;  these  last  were  not 
calculated  for  the  navigation  above  the  falls.  In  1804,  Mr. 
Wilson,  a  government  contractor,  built  a  fine  schooner  of 
ninety  tons  called  the  Fair  American;  in  the  fall  and  winter 
of  the  same  year,  Mr.  McNair  built  another  of  fifty  tons, 
called  the  Linda,  and  very  soon  after,  with  other  gentlemen, 
purchased  a  number  of  Canadian  vessels.  At  this  period, 
no  custom  house  had  been  established.  All  commercial  inter¬ 
course  was  free,  no  licences  were  required  or  ships  papers  to 
be  verified  by  oath.  The  keen  scented  custom  house  officer 
had  not  yet  smelt  out  the  valuable  and  growing  commerce  of 
the  great  lakes. 

In  1808,  Messrs.  Eckford  and  Bergh,  built  a  government 
vessel,  the  Brig  Oneida,  mounting  sixteen  twenty-four  pound 
carronades,  which  was  launched  in  the  spring  of  1809.  Lieut. 
Woolsey  commanded  at  the  station  and  superintended  the  build¬ 
ing  ;  J.  Fcnnimore  Cooper  and  Thomas  Gamble  were  stationed 
here  at  the  time,  and  were  midshipmen  under  him. 

In  1809,  Messrs  McNair  &  Co.,  built  a  fine  schooner,  and 
in  1810,  another.  The  same  year,  the  House  of  Bronson  & 
Co.,  built  one,  and  Porter  Barton  &  Co.,  another.  These  ves¬ 
sels  ranged  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  tons  burthen.  Several 
other  vessels  were  built  between  this  time  and  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war  of  1812. 

Upon  the  declaration  of  war,  in  1812,  the  United  States 
judged  it  not  only  prudent,  but  wise,  to  increase  the  naval 
force  upon  the  lakes.  The  only  vessel  on  Lake  Ontario  at 


382 


ONONDAGA. 


this  period  was  the  brig  Oneida,  commander  Lieut.  Woolsey, 
and  not  a  solitary  one  on  Lake  Erie. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  struggle,  the  American  arms 
had  been  unsuccessful  on  the  western  frontier ;  but  upon  the 
water,  every  where  victorious.  In  October,  1812,  Commo¬ 
dore  Chauncey,  with  a  body  of  seamen,  arrived  at  Sackett’s, 
Harbor,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  the  designs  of  the 
government,  relative  to  the  establishment  of  a  naval  arma¬ 
ment  upon  the  lakes.  He  instantly  purchased  every  trading 
vessel,  ^capable  of  being  fitted  up  for  the  service  and  ordered 
Lieut.  Elliott  to  organize  a  naval  force  upon  Lake  Erie.  His 
preparations  proceeded  with  great  rapidity,  and  by  the  10th 
of  November,  considered  himself  capable  of  contending  with 
the  whole  British  squadron,  which  then  consisted  of  the  Roy¬ 
al  George,  of  twenty-six  guns,  Earl  Moira,  eighteen  guns, 
Prince  Regent,  eighteen  guns,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  fourteen 
guns,  Tarento,  fourteen  guns,  Governor  Simcoe,  twelve  guns. 
The  force  of  Commodore  Chauncey  erected  in  this  short  space 
of  time,  was  composed  of  the  Oneida,  sixteen  guns,  in  which 
himself  sailed.  Governor  Tompkins,  Lieut.  Brown,  six  guns ; 
Growler,  Lieut.  Mix,  five  guns;  Conquest,  Lieut.  Elliott,  two 
guns.  Port  Arundle,  two  guns,  and  the  Julia  Trant,  carry¬ 
ing  one  thirty-two  pounder,  making  in  all,  thirty-two  guns. 
Being  on  the  whole,  a  force  much  inferior  to  that  of  the  enemy. 

In  a  cruise  soon  after,  Commodore  Chauncey  fell  in  with 
the  Royal  George,  at  the  Bay  of  Quinte.  After  a  short  re¬ 
sistance  she  ran  under  the  protection  of  the  batteries  on  shore, 
from  whence  she  could  not  be  drawn  out.  During  this  cruise 
a  British  schooner  was  captured,  which  had  on  board  twelve 
thousand  dollars  in  specie,  and  the  baggage  of  General  Brock, 
and  Captain  Brock,  a  brother  of  the  General,  was  made  a 
prisoner.  The  prize  was  safely  carried  into  Sackett’s  Harbor. 
The  new  ship  of  war  Madison  was  launched  at  the  Harbor, 
on  the  26th  of  November.  The  winter  soon  after  closed  in 
and  put  an  end  to  all  further  naval  incidents  for  the  season. 

In  1813,  was  built  at  Oswego  a  large  floating  battery  de¬ 
signed  for  the  lake  service,  and  was  dignified  with  the  name, 


OSWEGO. 


383 


“Cooper’s  Ark.”  Soon  after  its  completion,  it  started  for 
Sackett’s  Harbor,  and  on  its  way,  during  an  unexpected  and 
violent  storm,  went  to  pieces,  and  all  was  lost. 

During  the  winter  powerful  exertions  were  made  by  both 
the  English  and  Americans  to  secure  the  supremacy  on  the 
lake.  And  in  the  spring  a  formidable  naval  armanent  was 
arrayed  on  either  side,  and  an  interesting  contest  ensued  be¬ 
tween  two  skilful  naval  officers  for  the  superiority.  The  Gen¬ 
eral  Pike,  of  twenty-two  guns,  and  some  smaller  vessels  had 
been  launched,  and  Commodore  Chauncey  was  now  fully  equal 
to  his  antagonist,  Sir  James  Yoe,  in  point  of  strength.  The 
latter  was  a  careful  and  vigilant  officer,  and  on  all  occasions 
avoided  coming  to  a  general  action.  On  the  contrary,  to 
bring  him  to  action  was  the  utmost  wish  of  Commodore  Chaun¬ 
cey,  and  a  series  of  skilful  movements  grew  out  of  it,  unpar¬ 
alleled  in  the  history  of  naval  tactics,  the  details  of  which  are 
too  extended  for  our  purpose. 

For  several  years  previous  to  the  war,  the  fortifications  at 
Oswego  had  been  suffered  to  go  to  ruin.  A  law  was  passed 
by  Congress,  on  the  3d  of  April,  1812,  styled  the  embargo 
law,  which  was  to  continue  for  ninety  days.  And  soon  after 
another  act  was  passed  to  prohibit  the  exportation  of  specie, 
goods,  wares  and  merchandize,  during  the  continuance  of  the 
embargo.  To  enforce  the  embargo,  Captain  Asa  Wells,  with 
one  company  of  militia,  was  ordered  to  Oswego,  and  during 
the  greater  part  of  that  year  occupied  what  remained  of  Fort 
Ontario. 

The  following  July,  Col.  George  Fleming,  of  Cayuga,  took 
the  command,  having  under  him  nine  companies  of  militia, 
and  made  some  movements  towards  repairing  the  works,  wThich 
amounted  to  nothing.  At  this  time  Charles  B.  Bristol,  of 
Manlius,  was  a  large  army  contractor,  and  furnished  the  troops 
at  Oswego  and  other  posts,  with  provisions.  Mr.  McNair,  of 
Oswego,  was  his  commissary.  Major  Charles  Moseley,  Cap¬ 
tains  C.  B.  Bristol  and  Leonard  Kellogg,  of  the  riflemen,  and 
Captain  Mulholland,  of  the  artillery,  with  Lieutenants  Me- 
lancthon  Smith,  William  Gardner,  Seth  Grosvener  and  Heze- 


384 


ONONDAGA. 


kiah  Ketchum,  of  the  riflemen,  and  Lieutenants  John  Dela- 
mater  and  Robert  Cummings,  of  the  artillery,  all  of  Manlius 
and  Pompey,  were  ordered  to  Oswego,  and  there  spent  the 
greater  part  of  the  season  till  the  close  of  the  campaign. 
Several  companies  were  present  from  other  parts  of  the  county, 
viz:  Capt.  John  Sprague,  of  Pompey;  Capts.  Forbes  and 
Mead,  from  Onondaga  ;  Capt.  Turner,  of  Marcellus,  who  died 
during  the  summer,  and  Capts.  Davidson  and  Dodge,  from 
Madison  County.  These  were  mostly  volunteers  of  independ¬ 
ent  companies,  some  of  whom  volunteered  for  a  year,  and 
were  called  to  Queenston,  and  participated  in  the  battle  there, 
on  the  11th  of  October.  In  the  month  of  November,  Col. 
Fleming  left  for  home,  and  the  command  devolved  upon  Col. 
Cleveland,  of  Madison  County,  who  had  just  arrived  with  a 
re-enforcement  of  militia.  The  terms  of  service  of  the  militia 
who  had  spent  the  summer,  expired  on  the  1st  of  January, 
1813,  upon  which  they  returned  home,  and  during  the  next 
summer  the  post  was  feebly  garrisoned  by  new  levies,  who  de¬ 
pended  mainly  upon  the  naval  force  upon  the  lake  for  the 
safety  of  the  place. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1814,  in  anticipation  of  an  attack 
upon  Oswego,  Col.  Mitchell  was  dispatched  by  General  Brown 
from  Sackett’s  Harbor,  with  four  companies  of  heavy  and  one 
of  light  artillery,  serving  as  infantry,  with  orders  to  occupy 
and  defend  the  old  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  so  long  as 
would  be  consistent  with  the  more  important  duty  of  covering 
the  naval  stores  at  the  falls.  For  the  advancement  of  the  pro¬ 
ject  of  creating  a  superior  naval  force  upon  Lake  Ontario,  a 
large  amount  of  naval  and  military  stores  had  been  concentra¬ 
ted  at  Oswego  falls,  waiting  a  fair  opportunity  to  be  conveyed 
to  Sackett’s  Harbor,  the  principal  place  of  shipbuilding.  In 
obedience  to  these  orders,  Col.  Mitchell  began  his  march  and 
arrived  at  Oswego  on  the  30th  of  April.  Finding  the  fort 
in  no  condition  for  defense,  with  its  stockade  much  broken 
down  and  decayed,  and  only  five  rusty  iron  guns,  two  of  which 
had  lost  their,  trunions,  and  all  without  sufficient  carriages, 
the  Colonel  had  barely  time  to  supply  some  of  these  defects, 


OSWEGO. 


385 


when  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  of  May,  the  British  fleet  con¬ 
sisting  of  four  ships,  three  brigs  and  a  number  of  gun  boats 
appeared  off  the  harbor.  At  one  o’clock,  P.  M.,  the  larger 
vessels  took  a  position  for  battering  the  fort,  and  soon  after 
opened  upon  it  a  heavy  fire.  At  this  time  there  were  but  three 
or  four  small  guns  at  Fort  Ontario,  and  a  one  gun  battery,  on 
the  west  side  of  the  river,  all  of  which  were  in  a  most  miser¬ 
able  condition.  The  fire  was  returned  with  much  spirit  from 
the  fort  and  a  battery  on  the  beach.  The  firing  on  the  part 
of  the  British  was  evidently  made  to  ascertain  the  strength  of 
the  American  garrison.  After  making  considerable  display 
and  doing  some  trivial  damage  without  loss  of  life,  the  British 
fleet  hauled  off.  Early  the  next  morning  they  again  appeared 
before  the  fort  in  nearly  the  same  order  as  before,  only  a  little 
nearer  the  land,  and  opened  a  brisk  cannonade,  Avhich  lasted 
near  two  hours.  The  little  means  of  defense  at  the  disposal 
of  the  Americans  was  put  in  active  requisition,  but  the  artil¬ 
lery  being  in  such  miserable  condition  was  soon  disabled  by 
use,  except  one  twelve  pounder.  The  firing  from  the  British 
was  mainly  directed  to  the  woods  surrounding  the  fort  and  vil¬ 
lage,  with  the  evident  design  of  deterring  the  inhabitants  of 
the  adjacent  country  from  coming  in  to  oppose  the  landing. 
At  that  time,  all  East  Oswego  was  a  forest  except  around  the 
fort.  Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  cannonading,  from  the 
fact  that  one  individual  gathered  and  sold  to  the  United  States, 
a  few  weeks  afterwards,  about  five  tons  of  18,  24  and  32 
pound  shot.  About  half  past  twelve  o’clock,  the  enemy  com¬ 
menced  a  heavy  fire  of  grape  shot,  under  the  cover  of  which, 
a  portion  of  the  British  force  with  General  Drummond  at  their 
head,  effected  a  landing  on  the  beach  below  the  fort.  Anoth¬ 
er  party  consisting  of  sailors  and  marines  under  Capt.  Mul- 
caster,  landed  under  the  high  bank  in  front  of  the  gate  of  fort 
Ontario.  A  third  party  landed  on  a  high  point  north-east  of 
the  fort.  This  latter  party  were  unfortunate,  inasmuch  as  sev¬ 
eral  were  killed  by  the  grape  from  the  fleet,  which  fell  short 
of  the  mark.  Muleaster’s  party  rushed  up  the  steep  bank 
under  the  muzzle  of  the  redoubtable  twelve  pounder,  the  only 

b  25 


386 


ONONDAGA. 


gun  in  condition  for  use,  which  continued  to  pour  forth  ita 
warnings  to  the  last.  As  the  British  sailors  reached  the  top 
of  the  bank  on  which  it  was  mounted,  two  American  sailors 
were  ramming  down  another  charge.  The  two  or  three  other 
volunteers  who  had  been  managing  the  gun  fled  Avithin  the  gate 
as  the  red  coats  sprang  upon  the  bank  in  front.  One  of  the 
men  at  the  muzzle  also  effected  his  escape,  but  the  other,  an 
old  tar,  insisted  on  having  another  shot.  He  Avas  surrounded 
by  the  enemy,  who  had  possession  of  the  gun,  yet  he  seized 
the  linstock  and  struggled  hard  to  fire  the  piece.  The  British 
sailors  not  desirous  of  killing  so  gallant  a  man,  seized  and  drag¬ 
ged  him  aAvay  from  the  battery  by  main  strength,  rejoicing 
that  they  were  in  possession  of  so  brave  a  prisoner.  The  old 
fellow  however  escaped  the  following  night  by  stratagem.  As 
Capt.  Mulcaster’s  party  entered  the  gate  of  the  fort,  a  few 
men  who  had  been  engaged  on  the  parapets,  fled  over  the  walls 
on  the  opposite  side. 

The  British  now  in  full  possession,  instantly  wheeled  to  the 
north-west  bastion,  where  stood  the  flag-staff  to  which  Col. 
Mitchell  had  nailed  the  stars  and  stripes.  Two  men  success¬ 
ively  attempted  to  climb  the  staff  for  the  purpose  of  cutting 
off  the  flag.  The  fugitives  from  the  opposite  wall  shot  them 
off.  Capt.  Mulcaster  himself,  then  sprang  up  the  staff  and 
ere  his  hand  touched  the  fatal  prize,  fell  pierced  by  three 
balls.  The  fourth  man  was  more  successful,  and  bore  it  to  the 
ground. 

Capt.  Mulcaster,  although  he  lived  several  years,  never  re¬ 
covered  from  the  effects  of  his  terrible  Avounds.  Col.  Mitch¬ 
ell,  finding  further  opposition  at  the  fort  useless,  and  that  any 
further  attempt  to  defend  it  would  jeopard  the  naval  stores 
at  the  falls,  determined  in  the  spirit  of  his  orders  to  retire 
upon  that  point  and  avail  himself  of  the  defiles  it  presented. 
Nor  was  this  determination  executed  Avith  less  coolness  and 
courage  than  it  was  formed ;  every  foot  of  ground  being  well 
contested  with  the  head  of  the  British  column  for  half  an 
hour,  after  which  no  further  annoyance  was  given  to  the  re¬ 
treat.  Col.  Mitchell  on  his  way  to  the  falls,  destroyed  the 


OSWEGO. 


38T 

bridges  and  filled  the  roads  with  timber.  The  British  were 
sadly  disappointed  in  finding  that  the  principal  stores  had 
been  removed  to  the  falls,  and  that  their  only  booty  comprised 
a>  few  barrels  of  pork,  whiskey  and  salt,  which  poorly  compen¬ 
sated  them  for  the  loss  of  two  hundred  and  thirty  men  killed 
and  wounded.  The  American  loss  was  reported  at  sixty  men 
killed  and  wounded. 

After  the  battle  was  over,  several  of  the  citizens  of  Oswego 
were  taken  prisoners  and  held  as  hostages,  for  fear  the  Ameri¬ 
cans  would  wantonly  kill  the  straggling  soldiers  of  the  Brit¬ 
ish.  Among  these  were  Mr.  Bronson,  Mr.  Beach,  P.  D.  Hu- 
gunin  and  Matthew  McNair ;  and  on  the  whole  the  British 
were  not  remarkably  civil,  for  while  these  gentlemen  were  de¬ 
tained  as  hostages  at  the  fort  without  comfortable  refresh¬ 
ments,  the  British  officers  feasted  themselves  upon  the  fowls 
obtained  from  McNair’s  roost. 

A  vast  amount  of  provisions  and  salt  were  thrown  into  the 
river  by  order  of  Col.  Mitchell,  and  one  vessel  on  board  of 
which  were  naval  stores,  was  sunk.  After  making  all  the  de¬ 
struction  of  property  in  their  power,  before  daylight  on  the 
following  morning  the  British  unceremoniously  decamped. 

This  attack  upon  Oswego  created  a  great  alarm  through¬ 
out  the  country  at  the  time,  and  the  militia  flocked  there  in 
great  force,  but  arrived  too  late  to  render  assistance. 

The  alarms  of  war  had  now  ceased  upon  our  frontier,  and 
quiet  again  reigned  in  the  land.  But  it  took  several  years  for 
the  villages  along  the  lines  to  regain  their  wonted  prosperity. 

A  small  grist  mill  and  saw  mill  were  built  by  Forman  & 
Brackett,  at  the  falls,  in  1809.  These  were  the  first  mills 
erected  in  later  times,  on  the  Oswego  River,  although  it  has 
been  often  stated  (and  was  probably  true)  that  small  mills  had 
been  put  in  operation  by  the  English  during  their  occupancy 
of  Oswego,  about  the  year  1750. 

Mr.  James  Lyon  was  the  only  forwarding  merchant  at  the 
upper  landing,  till  after  the  war,  and  Falley  &  Crocker  at  the 
lower  landing.  Through  these  two  houses,  was  transacted  all 
the  commerce  which  passed  Oswego,  by  way  of  the  river. 


388 


ONONDAGA. 


The  salmon  fishery  at  the  falls,  formed  an  important  busi¬ 
ness.  Hundreds  of  barrels  of  these  delicious  fish,  •were  an¬ 
nually  taken,  and  found  their  way  to  a  foreign  market.  An 
experienced  fisherman  would  sometimes  take  them  as  fast  as 
he  could  ply  his  spear.  Since  the  erection  of  the  State  dam, 
they  have  not  visited  the  waters  of  the  Oswego.  With 
the  construction  of  the  Oswego  Canal,  died  the  forwarding 
and  carrying  business  at  the  falls;  but  the  village  of  Fulton 
has  since  grown  up,  and  contains  several  dry  good  stores,  five 
houses  for  public  worship,  three  extensive  grist  mills,  several 
saw  mills,  and  an  almost  unlimited  water  power.  A  wealthy 
company  has  lately  secured  the  valuable  privileges  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river,  and  contemplate  soon  to  improve  them,  and  con¬ 
sidering  what  has  been  done  at  this  place,  within  the  last  five 
years,  it  would  be  nothing  unwarrantable,  to  predict,  that  at  no 
very  distant  day,  it  will  be  connected  with  Oswego,  and  altogeth¬ 
er  become  one  of  the  greatest  manufacturing  places  in  the  world. 

The  county  of  Oswego  was  organized  in  1816,  taken  from 
the  counties  of  Onondaga  and  Oneida.  The  towns  of  Oswego, 
Hannibal  and  Granby  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  were  a 
part  of  the  Military  Tract  in  Onondaga  County,  including  the 
original  township  of  Hannibal  and  thirty-three  lots  from  the 
north  part  of  Lysander.  The  towns  east  of  the  river  were 
from  Oneida  County,  constituting  a  portion  of  “  Scriba’s 
Patent.”  These  lands  were  originally  granted  to  Nicholas 
Roosevelt,  of  New-York,  who  not  complying  with  the  terms 
of  sale,  they  were  sold  to  George  Scriba,  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  at  that  time  a  merchant  of  New-York.  A  part  of  the 
lands  included  in  Scriba’s  Patent  were  jointly  purchased  by 
Gen.  Alexander  Hamilton,  John  Lawrence  and  John  B. 
Church.  Several  distinct  grants  were  made  along  the  bank 
of  the  river  from  the  falls,  of  from  two  hundred  to  fourteen 
hundred  acres  each.  The  stale  also  reserved  a  tract  half  a 
mile  wide  and  a  mile  long,  securing  the  water  power  at  the 
Oswego  Falls,  which  was  afterwards  sold  out. 

Further  up  the  river  is  the  village  of  Phoenix,  in  the  town 
of  Schroeppel,  about  a  mile  or  mile  and  a  half  below  Three- 


OSWEGO. 


389 


River-Point,  and  about  fourteen  miles  north  of  Syracuse. 
This  is  a  flourishing  village,  with  about  nine  hundred  inhabi¬ 
tants,  and  forms  a  sort  of  connecting  link  between  Syracuse, 
Fulton  and  Oswego. 

In  the  Oswego  River  opposite  to  the  village,  is  an  island 
called  Baldwin’s  Island,  and  is  owned  by  Harvey  Baldwin, 
Esq.,  of  Syracuse.  It  contains,  or  rather  the  two  contain 
(being  separated  by  a  narrow  channel)  about  ten  acres  of 
land.  There  is  a  tradition  extant,  that  at  the  time  the  French 
Colony  was  broken  up  at  Onondaga,  in  1656-7,  the  colonists 
pursuing  their  course  down  the  river,  and  the  Indians  being 
in  full  pursuit,  the  fugitives  took  refuge  on  this  island,  and 
after  relieving  their  boats  of  a  small  brass  cannon,  emptied 
the  contents  of  their  military  chest,  (as  the  tradition  goes) 
containing  a  quantity  of  gold,  which  was  buried  in  the  sand, 
and  from  thence  they  immediately  fled  down  the  river  to  Oswego, 
and  thence  across  the  lake  to  Canada.  Repeated  attempts 
have  been  made  to  recover  the  cannon  and  also  to  secure  the 
gold,  but  hitherto  without  effect. 

Excavations  are  continued  even  to  this  day  to  secure  these 
hidden  treasures. 

The  employment  of  steam  for  purposes  of  navigation  com¬ 
menced  on  Lake  Ontario,  in  1816.  In  that  year,  the  steam¬ 
boat  Ontario,  Capt.  J.  Mallaby,  of  four  hundred  tons,  was 
built  at  Sackett’s  Harbor,  and  commenced  running  in  the 
spring  of  1817,  being  the  first  built  upon  the  lakes.  Gen. 
Jacob  Brown,  Com.  M.  T.  Woolsey,  Hooker  &  Crane,  Charles 
Smith,  Erie  Lusher  and  Elisha  Camp,  proprietors.  She  was 
the  first  vessel  built  west  of  the  Hudson  propelled  by  steam, 
and  the  first  sea  vessel  of  the  kind  built  in  the  country.  At 
the  time,  her  construction  was  considered  an  experiment  and 
an  enterprise  of  the  first  magnitude.  She  was  received  on 
her  first  trip  to  Oswego  by  the  people,  with  the  most  extrava¬ 
gant  rejoicings,  which  continued  during  the  whole  night  and 
till  the  boat  left  for  Niagara  the  following  day.  She  en¬ 
grossed  the  attention  of  the  whole  people,  and  excited  their 
wonder  and  admiration.  The  steamer  Frontenac,  of  seven 


390 


ONONDAGA. 


hundred  tons,  was  built  by  some  Canadian  gentlemen,  in  1817. 
Her  machinery  was  imported  from  England. 

In  1818,  the  Sophia,  of  seventy-five  tons,  was  built  at  Sack- 
etts  Harbor,  and  ran  between  that  place  and  Kingston,  com¬ 
manded  by  S.  Thurston.  In  1823,  the  Martha  Ogden,  Capt. 
D.  Ried,  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons,  was  built  at  Sacketts 
Harbor,  under  the  directions  of  Albert  Crane,  Escp,  of  Os¬ 
wego,  which  formed  the  line  of  American  Steamers,  till  1830, 
when  the  Brownville,  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons,  Capt.  N. 
Johnson,  was  set  afloat.  After  these,  followed  the  Charles 
Carroll,  100  tons,  Capt.  D.  Howe,  built  in  1831;  Paul  Pry, 
50  tons,  Capt.  E.  Lusher,  1831 ;  United  States,  450  tons, 
Capt.  Joseph  Whitney,  1832;  Black  Hawk,  100  tons,  after¬ 
wards  the  Dolphin,  1833;  Wm.  Avery,  200  tons,  Capt. 
Vaughn,  1833 ;  Oswego,  400  tons,  Capt.  Evans,  1834 ;  Onei¬ 
da,  300  tons,  Capt.  Child,  1836  ;  Telegraph,  200,  Capt.  Ma¬ 
son,  1837  ;  John  Marshall,  60  tons,  Capt.  J.  F.  Tyler,  1838  ; 
St.  Lawrence,  450  tons,  J.  Van  Cleve,  1839;  Express,  150 
tons,  Capt.  II.  N.  Throop,  1839  ;  Geo.  Clinton,  100  tons, 
Capt.  Chapman,  1841 ;  President,  60  tons,  Capt.  Isaac  Green, 
1841 ;  Lady  of  the  Lady,  450  tons,  Capt.  S.  II.  Hoag,  1842  ; 
Rochester,  400  tons,  Capt.  H.  N.  Throop,  1843;  Niagara,  746 
tons,  Capt.  R.  F.  Child,  1845 ;  Cataract,  620  tons,  Capt.  J. 
Van  Celve,  1847. 

Besides  these,  have  been  launched  upon  the  lake,  numerous 
sloops  and  schooners,  cutters,  &c.,  which  are  doing  an  im¬ 
mense  business  on  the  lakes,  through  the  Welland  Canal. 

Messrs.  Bronson  and  Morgan,  erected  the  first  mills  at  Os¬ 
wego,  in  1820,  with  five  run  of  stone,  Mr.  Henry  Fitzhugh, 
built  the  second  mill  with  six  run  of  stone,  in  1830,  and  Messrs. 
Gerrit  Smith  and  Richard  L.  De  Zeng  another ;  soon  after, 
these  were  severally  burned  down  and  rebuilt.  The  Oswego 
Canal  was  completed,  1826-27,  which  opened  an  avenue  to 
trade,  which  has  been  vastly  improved  by  the  erection  of  fac¬ 
tories  and  mills,  carried  by  the  surplus  water.  Mr.  Varrick’s 
ditch,  completed  in  1834,  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  val¬ 
uable  improvements  for  Oswego,  bears  upon  its  banks,  on  the 


OSWEGO. 


891 


west  side  of  the  river,  a  great  amount  of  manufacturing  and 
mill  machinery,  which  adds  very  much  to  the  business  opera¬ 
tions  of  the  place. 

Wonderful  improvements  have  been  made  within  the  last 
few  years,  in  the  construction  of  machinery  for  mills,  at  Os¬ 
wego,  and  a  single  run  of  stone  will  turn  out  from  one  hun¬ 
dred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  barrels  of  flour,  daily.  Many 
of  the  improved  mills,  have  a  separate  water-wheel  for  every 
run,  which  expedites  the  process  of  manufacturing  flour,  be¬ 
yond  anything  of  former  invention.  The  spacious  store¬ 
houses,  with  their  grain  elevators,  unloading  a  vessel  contain¬ 
ing  thirty  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  in  a  few  hours,  are 
truly  a  wonder  of  the  age. 

Considerable  additions  have  been  made  to  the  Oswego  flour¬ 
ing  mills  during  the  past  year.  The  mill  of  Henry  Wright, 
on  the  Varrick  Canal,  west  side,  is  capable  of  manufacturing 
four  hundred  barrels  of  superfine  flour,  daily,  and  his  machines 
for  cleaning,  screening  and  separating  impurities,  are  decided 
improvements  upon  any  hitherto  in  use.  The  new  mill  of 
Messrs.  Mills,  Whitney  &  Co.,  up  the  river,  has  five  run  of 
stone,  and  his  water  power  is  improved,  directly  from  the  river. 
Messrs.  Merrick,  Davis  &  Co.,  have  just  put  in  operation  a 
new  and  improved  mill,  with  eight  run  of  stone,  capable  of 
manufacturing  over  eight  hundred  barrels  of  flour,  daily. 

The  City  of  Oswego  has  now  the  facilities  and  power  to 
manufacture  more  flour  than  any  place  on  the  globe,  and  prob¬ 
able  does,  independent  of  the  mills  at  Fulton  situated  ten  miles 
above,  where  this  branch  of  business  is  rapidly  increasing. 

The  great  Pier  at  Oswego  was  commenced  in  1827  and  com¬ 
pleted  in  1830,  by  Messrs.  Mc'Nair  and  Hatch,  and  has 
since  been  annually  improved  by  government  agents,  and  now 
affords  ample  protection  to  the  harbor. 

The  old  light  house,  built  on  the  north  side  of  the  fort,  was 
first  lit  up  in  1822.  The  new  one  was  erected  on  the  pier  in 
183G,  and  first  lit  up  in  1837.  Mr.  Steele  has  been  their  only 
keeper. 

Oswego  was  incorporated  as  a  village,  14th  of  March,  1828, 


392 


ONONDAGA. 


the  first  village  meeting  was  held  in  the  school  house,  13th  day 
of  May,  1828,  and  Alvin  Bronson  chosen  President,  and  Dan¬ 
iel  Hugunin,  jr.,  George  Fisher,  Nathaniel  Vilas,  jr.,  David 
P.  Brewster,  Theophilus  S.  Morgan,  Joseph  Turner  and  Orlo 
Steele,  Trustees. 

Oswego  contains  now,  1848,  about  12,000  inhabitants,  10 
ministers  of  the  gospel,  20  lawyers,  14  physicians,  and  trades¬ 
men,  millers,  mechanics,  machinists,  &c»,  unnumbered.  It  re¬ 
ceived  its  Charter  as  a  City,  in  the  spring  of  1848. 

It  was  our  design  at  the  commencement  to  have  given  a  far 
more  extended  notice  of  modern  Oswego,  than  here  appears, 
but  having  greatly  exceeded  our  limits  in  giving  the  interest¬ 
ing  details  of  events  previous  to  the  settlement  of  the  country, 
we  reluctantly  dismiss  the  subject,  leaving  those  who  shall  suc¬ 
ceed,  to  complete  that  important  portion  of  its  history. 


CONCLUSION. 


Gentle  Reader  :  these  sketches  and  reminiscences  hare 
been  prolonged  to  an  unwarrantable  length.  Imperfect  from 
the  nature  of  things  we  know  them  to  be.  Correctness  and 
truth  have  been  aimed  at  throughout  every  part :  if  these  have 
been  departed  from,  it  arises  from  false  information,  not  from 
a  desire  to  mislead,  or  underrate,  or  overdraw.  If  they  have 
been  the  means  of  affording  you  the  slightest  gratification,  the 
object  of  the  author  is  accomplished.  Sixty  years  have  rolled 
around,  since  the  first  permanent  white  settlement  was  made 
within  our  borders  ;  sixty  years  have  added  their  periods  to  the 
flight  of  time,  since  the  ax  of  civilization  has  been  successfully 
applied  to  the  tree  of  barbarism  in  this  land  ;  sixty  years  have 
gone  by,  and  the  face  of  things  is  entirely  changed.  What 
unlooked  for  events  in  the  great  wheel  of  human  life  will  rise 
before  another  sixty  years  shall  succeed,  it  would  he  in  vain 
for  us  to  inquire.  But  when  that  remote  period  shall  come, 
not  one  of  us,  not  one  of  our  children  now  on  earth,  except 
as  a  gray  and  wrinkled  relic  of  the  past,  will  be  found  among 
the  living.  Our  hills  then,  as  now,  will  catch  the  first  glim¬ 
merings  of  the  morning,  and  the  last  rays  of  evening  will  linger 
on  their  bald  and  ragged  brows, — but  of  all  that  our  hands 
have  wrought,  and  our  hearts  have  loved,  not  a  vestige  will 
remain  as  we  now  behold  it.  What  future  good  or  ill,  what 
storms  of  civil  violence  may  pass  over  this  land,  we  know  not; 
but  so  may  we  live,  that  the  inheritance  we  have  received,  of 
freedom,  truth,  intelligence,  virtue  and  faith,  may  be  handed 
down  unspotted,  to  those  who  shall  succeed  us. 


END  OP  VOL.  II. 


